Theorising global social policy

Abstract

A foundational idea in global social policy (GSP) is that the enactment of social policy transcends the nation-state. That is, social policies are formulated in many extra-national sites, spaces and forums that are outside the sole control of national governments and other domestic actors (see Chapters 1 and 2, this volume). If the forms that GSPs take and the conditions under which they develop are distinct from those of national welfare states and social policies, what does this mean for the ways in which we theorise GSP? Few would argue that theories of national social policy development are directly applicable to GSP, but the real questions are whether existing theories can be repurposed for GSP, or whether entirely new theories need to be devised. If the latter, from which bodies of scholarly thought might we seek inspiration for developing GSP theory? What role does theory play in GSP studies? One part of the answer is that theory helps make sense of complexity. Theory systematically – that is, according to a logic – prioritises and orders the many different elements involved in the production, distribution and outcomes of individual and collective welfare and the relationships between them. Different theories vary in their priorities for what they aim to explain, and accordingly emphasise different elements. For example, a theory about the origins of GSP might focus on broad social, economic or political conditions, whereas a theory about how GSP is implemented might focus on institutional design. No single theory can explain all aspects of GSP.