Field Of Social Policy Research Articles

Does India have subnational welfare regimes? The role of state governments in shaping social policy

ABSTRACT This article asks whether state governments in India had developed sufficient autonomy during the era of multi-party fragmentation (1989–2014) to determine and implement their own distinctive policy agendas in the field of social policy. It uses cluster analysis to look for variation in the welfare regimes of state governments within India’s federal system. Employing the metrics of (de)commodification and defamilialization commonly used in the comparative cross-national literature on welfare regimes to assess the extent to which public welfare provision reduces dependence on market forces and family structures, the paper finds that India’s states cluster in ways that suggest the existence of distinctive subnational welfare regimes rather than straightforward variation within a national welfare regime. The analysis challenges the national-level bias inherent in previous studies of comparative welfare regimes and offers insights into the operation of regional autonomy within the domain of social policy in India’s federal system.

Comparing long‐term care systems: A multi‐dimensional, actor‐centred typology

AbstractLike other fields of social policy, the organization of long‐term care (LTC) varies temporally and geographically. The present article aims to advance the comparison of LTC systems worldwide by proposing a conceptual framework to analyse variation, putting a special focus on analysing the role of public and private actor types. In a precluding literature review of existing LTC typologies, we find that there are various promising classification approaches, but with an overwhelming concentration on European countries and often constructed in‐transparently and superficially. Building on the concept of the care/welfare mix, we develop a multi‐dimensional, actor‐centred typology of LTC systems. In doing so, we employ the methodological procedure of theoretically constructing a typological attribute space. We argue that three dimensions, that is service provision, financing and regulation, are crucial for differentiating types. Furthermore, we chose an actor‐centred approach, asking who bears the main responsibility in each dimension. Five relevant types of corporate actors are distinguished: state, societal actors, private for‐profit actors, private individual actors, and global actors. Finally, we present and discuss the resulting attribute space and further illustrated the typology's use by exemplarily classifying three countries.

The elusive promise of universal social protection: the case of the Greek general minimum income (GMI)

PurposeThe need to alleviate poverty and achieve the United Nations (UN) 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Universal Social Protection (USP) mechanisms is a high priority for governments and international organisations (IOs). This paper focuses on the recent introduction of a general minimum income (GMI) in Greece, in the context of the international diffusion of governing expertise. It examines whether the “universal” scheme being implemented constitutes a paradigm shift likely to offer solutions to the country's previous fragmented and unjust welfare system, and to problems the society has faced since the 2010s depression.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses critical grounded theory, with data gathering through iterative field observations and semi-structured interviews.FindingsResults highlight the elusiveness of USP normative promises: rather than enhancing people's effective freedoms to act as self-determining agents, USP pushes the poor to adapt to current degraded socio-economic conditions. Participation in the shadow economy is a structural feature of USP; it is implicitly tolerated insofar as it is regarded, in the words of the World Bank (WB), an “engine for growth”. This constitutes an institutional and governance challenge for the implementation and expansion of social welfare programmes and could compromise the 2030 SDGs Agenda.Originality/valueWhile research to date has examined the “modernisation” of the Greek welfare system in a national or comparative perspective, it adds to the literature by framing the study in the field of global social policy, shedding light on the discrepancies between internationally designed mechanisms and the normative aims of USP.

Brief Synopses of New Arabic-Language Publications

Brief Synopses of New Arabic-Language Publications

The Notion of “Worker” for the Purpose of EU Social Policy and its Interpretation by the Court of Justice of the European Union

Abstract Social policy is one of the EU policies shared by the EU and the Member States. The aims of EU rules in the field of social policy include protection of the working conditions of workers, on the one hand, and prevention of social dumping between undertakings from different Member States on the other hand. The EU primary and secondary law relating to social policy uses the term “worker.” However, contrary to the national laws of the Member States, there is no definition or explanation of this concept. National laws of Member States provide different definitions of the term “worker” or “employee” which can lead to different levels of protection for workers under the national legislations of EU Member States. For this reason, the concept of “worker” for the purpose of EU social policy may not be interpreted differently according to the law of Member States but has an autonomous meaning specific to EU law.

Partnership in Times of COVID-19: Government and Civil Society in Austria

Abstract How did the relation between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and government develop during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, once governments had taken restrictive measures to lock down economic and public life? Austria is used as an example of a corporatist welfare state whereby collaboration between government and CSOs occurs particularly in the fields of social services, health-care, and youth. Our analysis focuses on the social service sector and differentiates between several social policy fields. We hereby analyze data from qualitative interviews with CEOs from 30 CSOs, four group discussions with another 30 representatives of CSOs, public agencies and authorities, and from a standardized questionnaire (n = 99 CSOs). We also utilize our own experiences as participant observers in meetings between CSOs and government. Results indicate that CSOs suffered financially partly due to a decrease in income, though mostly due to an increase in cost. In social services in particular, they also faced hardships caused by the need to reorganize operations and human resources, and by the increased demands of customers. Federal government took responsibility for supporting CSOs financially, though such support was hampered by unclear competencies in Austria’s multilayered federal system.

Around ethical dilemmas in the work of a family assistant

The purpose of the article is to describe selected ethical dilemmas in the work of a family assistant, based on the typology of ethical dilemmas of Frederic Reamer. In accordance with the typology adopted in the article, in the area of cooperation with families, ethical dilemmas regarding direct work with families, implementation of social assistance programs and relationship between representatives of the profession arise. The information presented in the text is based on publications, studies and reports on family assistantship. The first group of ethical dilemmas is revealed when constructing supportive and helping relationship between assistants and families. It refers to such areas as: voluntary cooperation, limits of cooperation, the right to self-determination or limits of responsibility. The second group of ethical dilemmas is related to the planning and implementation of various solutions in the field of social policy and also support and assistance programs offered to the family. The last group of ethical dilemmas results from a different understanding of family assistantship in the structures of the social assistance system. They are also revealed in the construction of relationships with social workers. The text also includes solutions how to cope with these dilemmas.

Social Aspects of Tourism Policy in the European Union. The Example of Poland and Slovakia

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the European Union tourism policy has been increasingly focused on initiatives in the field of social tourism, which are one of the ways of achieving sustainable development in the European tourism economy. Most of the research projects that have so far been conducted in the field have focused on the benefits for its participants (subjective one: Children and youths, seniors, disabled people, people (families) with low incomes and/or unemployed, big families). However, there is a lack of research on the analysis of the place of social aspects of tourism in the general socio-economic policy of the state and, in a detailed aspect, in the sectoral policy represented by tourism policy, as well as its potential impact on the development of the national economy and meeting tourism needs of the society. The authors tried to fill this research gap in this study. The aim of the study is to differentiate the issues related to the social aspects of tourism policy from the entire socio-economic policy pursued in the European Union and selected member states (Poland and Slovakia). The article is of a theoretical–analytical–conceptual nature. Empirical research, due to the nature of its issues, was conducted with the use of qualitative research methods. The results of the conducted research showed that activities in the field of social tourism policy are conditioned by organizational solutions for the entities that undertake them, as well as economic ones, especially in the field of financing. Moreover, they made it possible to propose the concept of a model social tourism policy with an indication of its place in the European policy on the basis of the past and future EU financial perspectives.

Bureaucratic conflict between transnational actor coalitions: The diffusion of British National Vocational Qualifications to China

AbstractQuantitative studies of social policy diffusion face substantial challenges regarding their understanding of causal mechanisms. Knowledge of diffusion processes is particularly limited in authoritarian countries, in comparatively autonomous developing countries, and fields of social policy not characterized by hegemonic ideas and strong epistemic communities. This study focuses on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the People's Republic of China. The conceptual approach is based on the interaction‐oriented understanding of causal mechanisms in actor‐centred institutionalism, and the framework of lesson drawing. Methodologically, this study follows a process tracing approach, relying on semi‐structured interviews with Chinese experts, recently de‐classified project reports of the World Bank, and content analysis of Chinese legal and regulatory documents. Analysing why China introduced a system of vocational qualification certificates similar to English National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), rather than German‐style dual vocational apprenticeships, it uncovers a mechanism of bureaucratic conflict between competing coalitions of domestic ministries and transnational actors from the UK and Germany in a context of organizational hierarchy with multiple principals. The World Bank here attempted to play the role of a neutral international principal, but could only do so in limited ways and insofar as its preferences were compatible with those of the leadership core of the Party‐state. The study illustrates how bureaucratic conflict mediates policy learning, explaining the diffusion and non‐diffusion of different policy options. Furthermore, it highlights doubts regarding the mechanism of coercion, which remained largely ineffective.

Building a National Economy: Origins of Centralized Federalism in India

AbstractIndia’s post-colonial constitution introduced a new approach to federalism based on a substantial sphere of shared responsibility between Central and State governments, especially in the fields of social and economic policy, and a Central government with strong prerogatives to intervene in provincial affairs. This was qualified at the time as a diminished or “quasi” form of federalism. Existing explanations of the origins of India’s centralized federalism focus on efforts to curb further secession attempts in the aftermath of Partition or the need for a strong Center to consolidate democracy in a highly unequal society. This article draws on archival materials to demonstrate that distinctive elements of Indian federalism were shaped at their foundations by the desire to boost industrial development and lay the foundation for a national welfare state in a post-colonial future by preventing the consolidation of “race to the bottom” dynamics arising from unregulated inter-provincial economic competition.

Transforming children’s rights? Dilemmas, challenges and implementation

ABSTRACT The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has now been in place for over thirty years and is widely ratified. However, as the UNCRC is operationalised, a number of practical, conceptual and ethical issues have emerged . For example, questions arise concerning children’s capacity and competence to make autonomous decisions, their involvement in dispute resolution and the relationship between the rights of children and those of their parents. Particular challenges arise in realising the rights of younger children and those with significant disabilities. The papers in this special edition explore these issues in relation to the UK and the wider international context, and also in different fields of social policy.

Impact of administrative burden on inappropriate payment error: a blessing or a curse?

ABSTRACT In this study, we analyze the impact of eased surveillance on recipients’ unintended payment error rates and fraud related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With the adoption of SIMPLIFIED REPORTING as part of the innovative reform of public service, recipients of SNAP only have to report their economic status over an extended period and in a simplified form to reduce the administrative burden of SNAP clients. But reducing administrative burden in the social security policy field faces the criticism that it can increase the possibility of fraud. Despite myths that reduced administrative burden can cause fraudulent behavior, there is no empirical evidence. By running several empirical models including a panel fixed effect model using 11-year state panel data, we conclude that an eased Simplified Reporting does not increase fraudulent behavior, but rather it helps clients to receive relevant benefits from the government.

POLITYKA ZATRUDNIENIA W POLSCE I JEJ DOŚWIADCZENIA DLA UKRAINY

A significant part of the state’s social policy is employment policy, which is one of the most important macroeconomic parameters. Employment affects the income of the population and general well-being. Poland’s positive experience in these matters is especially important for Ukraine, which as a result of the pandemic has found itself in a more difficult social situation than most European countries. In Poland, the issues of social policy models have been undertaken for many years by many researchers: Chojnacka, Gomułka, Frączak and Wygnański, Mendell et al. These authors focused on the issues of social transformation in Poland, social and employment policy, and financial aspects of Poland’s development. The aim of the article is to review the positive experience of employment policy in Poland with a recommendation for its application in Ukraine. The research methods used in the article are literature analysis (review of current research in the field of social policy with special emphasis on employment policy and Polish state statistics) and taxonomic methods used to determine the social development of Poland and changes in the labor market and the method of comparative analysis. The main features of the Polish social model are: stable economic development; low unemployment; increase in average wages; relatively small regional differences in the unemployment rate; labor market stability and its ability to adapt to new challenges. Poland is an attractive country for Ukrainian youth. The key to the economic development of Poland is the intensive development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Appropriate allowances and subsidies for foreign investments have been introduced in Poland, which solve the problem of unemployment and support Polish business thanks to technological innovations. The main problems of employment policy in Ukraine are: low wages; high unemployment; departure of young workers and highly qualified staff abroad in search of higher wages. The main Polish experience of social policy that can be used in Ukraine is: development of corporate social responsibility; entrepreneurial activation of the unemployed; creation of favorable working conditions for employees through cooperation of the public sector with business entities; consultations with Poland and other European countries on the development of the labor market in Ukraine.

Бразилия – каждый сам за себя. Особенности социальной политики во время коронакризиса

The article is focused on the Brazil’s social policy before and during the first and the second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors highlight the specific features of the country’s social policy and at the social impact of the crisis, particularly looking at the example of the Brazilian criminal groups` participation in the fight against the pandemic. The article provides an overview of the measures adopted by the Brazilian Government to mitigate the negative consequences of COVID-19 in the social sphere. It is concluded that the effectiveness of the Brazilian response to the coronacrisis is low due to the structural imbalances accumulated before the outbreak of the pandemic. The article consists of three parts. The first analyses the main features of the country’s social policy before the outbreak of COVID-19. It reveals that Brazil’s social policy has already been struggling before the pandemic due to the effects of the 2015-2016 crisis. The second part of the article focuses on the anti-crisis measures adopted by the Brazilian Government during the pandemic and problems with implementing the anti-coronavirus plan in the social sphere. Examples of successful and failed experiences in the fight against the pandemic in Brazilian states are provided. The third part is devoted to the positions of the criminal groups on the issue of combating the pandemic, especially in the favelas that are the most vulnerable parts of the country. The specificity of Brazilian experience in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic relates to the growing influence of such non-state actors. The authors come to a conclusion that Brazilian response to the pandemic cannot be considered successful, despite numerous governmental initiatives to mitigate the crisis. The problems and shortcomings of the previous development do not allow Brazil to make an instant breakthrough in the field of social policy with emergency measures. The success of the proposed measures depends on the Brazilian Government's ability to address the structural problems in the social sphere.

Разработка математических моделей для информационной системы принятия решений в процессе управления активами

A long-term priority in the field of social policy in the direction of ensuring social guarantees and increasing the personal responsibility of citizens of the country is a strategy for the development of the state. Having a conscious management trajectory, a person can plan personal finances at a young age without resorting to the help of a credit institution. To ensure the content of decision-making information systems in the field of asset management of individuals, it is required to develop mathematical models of complex functional social systems. This paper examines mathematical models of asset management throughout the life cycle of a family. A mathematical model of the process of achieving several financial goals distributed over time throughout the life cycle of a family has been built. A model for managing the processes of accumulating wealth in order to fulfill its obligations by controlling regular contributions is described. It is shown that when each generation of a family has targeted funds, the risk of default in conditions of volatility in the external environment decreases.

РОЗВИТОК СОЦІАЛЬНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ В КОНТЕКСТІ ГАРМОНІЗАЦІЇ ІНТЕРЕСІВ ЕКОНОМІЧНИХ СУБ’ЄКТІВ

Economic transformations of the country due to the development of market relations lead to appropriate changes in the field of social policy, the development of appropriate mechanisms of social protection, based on the principles of self-regulation and mutual support. The scale of economic growth is largely determined by the level of motivation of the behavior of economic entities both in increasing their own financial results and the general economic effect of creating a social product. In this aspect, the social policy of the state becomes a powerful factor in economic growth, with the greatest effect is given by the use of such forms of incentives that realize the public interests of all economic entities, which are not homogeneous in nature. The implementation of these priorities should be aimed at solving major socio-economic problems in order to prevent conflicts and promote sustainable development at the level of enterprises, regions, the country as a whole, so the problem of harmonizing the interests of all economic entities can be identified as a priority. The urgency of this problem is due to the need to increase the level of social protection of the population, which is achieved through the effective implementation of social policy and improving the mechanisms for its implementation from the standpoint of harmonization of interests of all economic entities. It is proved that to form a low-conflict model in which each entity has a clearly defined mechanism for meeting their own needs through the interests of partners, possibly by expanding the scope of market methods of self-regulation in combination with government leverage to influence economic behavior. To implement a more effective social policy, the government proposed a mechanism for expanding and harmonizing the socio-economic interests of the state, business and employees, which summarizes the result of the synthesis of natural and artificial responsibilities for various actors in social policy and social partnership. The proposed mechanism is able to neutralize the problems associated with low wages in the real sector of the economy, poverty and inefficient use of GDP, ensure the transparency of this process, and create a powerful motivational environment for workers and employers.

Czy szczęście przyjmuje kształt litery U? Polityka senioralna a dobrostan osób starszych

Previous studies of the “happiness curve” have shown that building psychological resilience to limitations typical of elderly people, allows us to reverse the negative trend in the level of subjective well-being. Activities, in the field of social, economic and health policy implemented by local government units and central authorities can improve the quality of aging. The aim of this article is to investigate the determinants of seniors' happiness, with particular emphasis on the potential of senior policy in its support, which will allow the development of a model of “senior well-being policy” and the development of a catalog of recommendations.

Правовые особенности оказания мер социальной поддержки в условиях внедрения цифровых платформ в государственное управление: российский и зарубежный опыт

The relevance of the work theme is due to the high importance of public relations in the field of state social policy. The ongoing digitalization of public administration as a global trend also affects the sphere of social support, which causes the transformation of social services provided by the state, the modernization of the process of interaction between power struc-tures and the population through the use of digital platforms. The purpose of the research is to consider certain legal and organizational features of this process realization in Russia and foreign countries. The methodological basis of the research includes dialectical method, which allowed us to examine digitalization and the social sphere of public administration as influencing each other and dynamically developing phenomena; analysis and synthesis, through which the main features of the digital transformation of public ser-vices are characterized; the comparative legal method, through which the approaches to the organization and regulation of the process of introducing digital platforms in the process of providing of social support measures are considered. In the course of studying this topic, we pay special attention to the formal legal method in order to describe and explain the legal regulation of the social security sphere, as well as the digitalization of public admini-stration. Based on the conducted research and taking into account foreign experience, we conclude that the need for further modernization of the social s system in Russia in the conditions of digitalization in part of solving the identified organizational and legal issues.

European Social Model and Opportunities for Establishing Welfare States in Latin America

. The article provides a comparative analysis of European and Latin American models of the Welfare State. The author shows that the experience of the European social paradigm has been carefully studied in the Latin American region in the past, and is taken into account nowadays, when all the countries over the planet are faced with the dramatic consequences of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. In addition to a deep economic shock, other problems are attributed to the characteristics of the current cycle (sometimes referred to as “neo-normal”) such as welfare loss and deepening social inequalities. Complicated social environment objectively forces the governments on both sides of the Atlantic to search for medium term strategies for social protection of the most vulnerable strata of society. There is an acute issue of the State's ability to cope with the consequences of the pandemic crisis, to find ways for economic recovery and overcoming social difficulties that have arisen. The hypothesis is put forward that Transatlantic interaction in the field of social policy will help to find more effective measures for solving some social problems in Latin American region.

Reinventing Homelessness through Enumeration in Norwegian Housing Policies: A Case Study of Governmentality

ABSTRACT In the course of two decades, “homelessness” was re-defined/re-invented in Norway. Homelessness” had long been seen as a social problem and a moral issue. Then, in 1996, a survey conceptualized it as a housing issue. A broader concept of unfavourable positions in the housing market was operationalized to include various situations beyond the narrow stereotypes of shelter-user and vagrant. The survey enumerated, defined and delimited the population of “homeless persons” as constituting a new category of statistics. This approach paralleled major policy shifts in housing politics and the reshaping of the Norwegian State Housing Bank. Drawing on the concept of governmentality, this article investigates how homelessness, previously placed in the sphere of social problems, was re-defined as a housing problem and became a force in developing a new field of social housing policy. The “new” concept includes an administrative territorial aspect defining who are deemed homeless and who are not.