Social Policy Studies Research Articles

History of the social policy in the United Kingdom

In the XVII century Great Britain became the first country in the world with a full-scale system of social support, which was regulated at the state level. The “Old Poor Law” of 1601 and the “New Poor Law” of 1834 are well-studied in both foreign and Russian science, but the solutions that preceded them are less known. The aim of this study is to describe the development of social policy in Great Britain up to 1834, when the system of assistance to people in need was redesigned according to the liberal logic of minimal interference of the state. The article is based on comparative and historic approach and analysis of legal documents. It demonstrates the evolution of institutions and practices of social support in Great Britain. In this country social policy grew from church and private charity and developed at local level under centrally defined rules. Consistent presentation of social policy history in Great Britain is valuable for studies of charity, local self-government and social policy.

A study of social policies based on the example of the Bulgarian hotels on the Black Sea coast

Research background: The implications of globalisation for social policy have been highly debated at the specialised literature. Social policies as an element of corporate responsibility reports (CSR) is neglected compared to environmental information. This can have a negative effect on the sustainability and development of industries directly dependent on their staff. Such sector in Bulgaria is the tourism where at the national level, the main challenge is the adequate parallel development of human resources as they underlie tourist product construction and development. Purpose of the article: The main aim of the study is to analyse factors that impact on the disclosed staff-related social policies at the financial statements of hotel enterprises in the territory of Varna and Burgas Black Sea regions in Bulgaria. The factors under analyses are the size of the organisation, available external audit control, available foreign participation in the capital, applicable accounting standards, accounted result (profit or loss); enterprise category. Methods: The adopted research methods are logical, deductive and comparative methods, methods of analysis and synthesis. To verify the author hypotheses the IBM – SPSS Statistics software is used. Findings & Value added: The results of the study show that comparatively high percentage of the enterprises do not publish staff- related information. This could lead to harmful effects to globalisation based on asymmetry in the data, problems with recruitment of qualified staff, unjustified economic decisions by data users. From all factors, under review, the strongest calculated statistic relationship is between the external audit control and staff-related disclosures.

Southern social world-regionalisms: The place of health in nine African regional economic communities

This article presents key results from a comparative qualitative Social Policy study of nine African regional economic communities’ (RECs) regional health policies. The article asks to what extent has health been incorporated into RECs’ public policy functions and actions, and what similarities and differences are evident among the RECs. Utilising a World Health Organization (WHO) framework for conceptualising health systems, the research evidence routes the article’s arguments towards the following principal conclusions. First, the health sector is a key component of the public policy functions of most of the RECs. In these RECs, innovations in health sector organisation are notable; there is considerable regulatory, organisational, resourcing and programmatic diversity among the RECs alongside under-resourcing and fragmentation within each of them. Second, there are indications of important tangible benefits of regional cooperation and coordination in health, and growing interest by international donors in regional mechanisms through which to disburse health and -related Official Development Assistance (ODA). Third, content analysis of RECs’ regional health strategies suggests fairly minimal strategic ambitions as well as significant limitations of current approaches to advancing effective and progressive health reform. The lack of emphasis on universal health care and reliance on piecemeal donor funding are out of step with approaches and recommendations increasingly emphasising health systems development, sector-wide approaches (SWAPs) and primary health care as the bedrock of health services expansion. Overall, the health component of RECs’ development priorities is consistent with an instrumentalist social policy approach. The development of a more comprehensive sustainable world-regional health policy is unlikely to come from the African Continental Free-Trade Area, which lacks requisite social and health clauses to underpin ‘positive’ forms of regional integration.

County-Level Social Distancing and Policy Impact in the United States: A Dynamical Systems Model.

BackgroundSocial distancing and public policy have been crucial for minimizing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. Publicly available, county-level time series data on mobility are derived from individual devices with global positioning systems, providing a variety of indices of social distancing behavior per day. Such indices allow a fine-grained approach to modeling public behavior during the pandemic. Previous studies of social distancing and policy have not accounted for the occurrence of pre-policy social distancing and other dynamics reflected in the long-term trajectories of public mobility data.ObjectiveWe propose a differential equation state-space model of county-level social distancing that accounts for distancing behavior leading up to the first official policies, equilibrium dynamics reflected in the long-term trajectories of mobility, and the specific impacts of four kinds of policy. The model is fit to each US county individually, producing a nationwide data set of novel estimated mobility indices.MethodsA differential equation model was fit to three indicators of mobility for each of 3054 counties, with T=100 occasions per county of the following: distance traveled, visitations to key sites, and the log number of interpersonal encounters. The indicators were highly correlated and assumed to share common underlying latent trajectory, dynamics, and responses to policy. Maximum likelihood estimation with the Kalman-Bucy filter was used to estimate the model parameters. Bivariate distributional plots and descriptive statistics were used to examine the resulting county-level parameter estimates. The association of chronology with policy impact was also considered.ResultsMobility dynamics show moderate correlations with two census covariates: population density (Spearman r ranging from 0.11 to 0.31) and median household income (Spearman r ranging from –0.03 to 0.39). Stay-at-home order effects were negatively correlated with both (r=–0.37 and r=–0.38, respectively), while the effects of the ban on all gatherings were positively correlated with both (r=0.51, r=0.39). Chronological ordering of policies was a moderate to strong determinant of their effect per county (Spearman r ranging from –0.12 to –0.56), with earlier policies accounting for most of the change in mobility, and later policies having little or no additional effect.ConclusionsChronological ordering, population density, and median household income were all associated with policy impact. The stay-at-home order and the ban on gatherings had the largest impacts on mobility on average. The model is implemented in a graphical online app for exploring county-level statistics and running counterfactual simulations. Future studies can incorporate the model-derived indices of social distancing and policy impacts as important social determinants of COVID-19 health outcomes.

Individual-level intervention: How perceptions of neighborhood matter for social organization

ABSTRACT One of the most robust areas of research in the communities and crime literature investigates the relationship between neighborhood social control and levels of neighborhood crime. While macro-level research provides much insight into the necessary conditions for neighborhoods to exert social control, and as a result experience less crime, far less attention is paid to the determinants of individual-level decisions to intervene in neighborhoods. This study takes a micro-level approach to studying neighborhood social organization by investigating how individual-level perceptions shape resident behaviors within neighborhoods. This paper argues that more attention should be placed on what motivates people to intervene in their neighborhoods, thus contributing to collective efficacy through individual actions. Using survey data from the Study of Race, Crime, and Social Policy in Oakland, California (Street, 2000), analyses show that residents within the same neighborhoods vary in how they perceive objective neighborhood characteristics, and that this variation partly accounts for the likelihood of intervention. Specifically, results from a series of logistic regressions show that perceptions of neighborhood disorder and perceptions of the legal system influenced whether neighborhood residents intervened when presented with problems in their communities.

Безумовний базовий дохід як інструмент соціальної політики держави

Annotation. Introduction. The article considers the concept of unconditional basic income in the study of social policy as a state instrument of universal social justice. Considerable attention paid to the prospects for the introduction of unconditional basic income and the implementation of its basic principles into Ukrainian legislation. Various approaches of legal regulations and etymology of social policy in the context of the state security system are considered. Significant emphasis placed on the study of the theoretical challenge of unconditional basic income, namely the study of the functioning of such a mechanism in modern communicative realities. This research is a product of analytics and was created without taking into account the author’s political ideas. Given the recommended amount of research, the issues of unconditional basic income was considered not to be completed. Purpose. One of the main tasks of the article is to study the mechanism of functioning of unconditional basic income and the possibility of its application in practice. It is also worth giving your own view of the social policy problems. The tasks of the article are to analyze the modern social security system and to suggest options for its improvement. Results. The theory of unconditional basic income currently has no practical application. Despite a significant number of theoretical experiments, no country in the world uses the instrument of unconditional basic income at the legislative level. Therefore, it is too early to talk about the implementation of this theory of social policy in practice in Ukraine. Conclusions. Theory of unconditional basic income has a strong intellectual tradition, but the practical application of this instrument of social policy not implemented. Our studies show that such a system promotes the development of human capital and increases the geographical mobility of people. Unconditional basic income creates material support that promotes human development in other spheres of life. However, it was noted that conducting such a social policy requires significant expenditures from the state budget. This creates material barriers for some countries to use unconditional basic income as a tool of social policy. Keywords: unconditional basic income; social policy; state institutions; legal system.

Revisiting Global Welfare Regime Classifications

This review article revisits the influential work of Gough (2004a, 2004b) on global welfare regimes fifteen years later. The article attempts to explore how far this literature has managed to pave a bridge between comparative social policy and development studies and explores the key contributions it offered in explaining welfare regime classification in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The article then reviews selected publications that have incorporated or applied Gough’s approach and in particular reviews how far scholars developed, complemented and questioned Gough’s approach. The review focuses on the causal properties for capturing the diversity of welfare regime classifications, empirical data, methodologies applied to classify welfare regimes, cases selected, groupings identified and finally how transitions to different welfare regime memberships are explained. In the conclusion, the article discusses findings and implications for global welfare regime classification debates.

Policy Recommendations to Promote Integrated Mental Health Care for Children and Youth.

Policy Recommendations to Promote Integrated Mental Health Care for Children and Youth.

Michael Oakeshott on Social Policy

Michael Oakeshott is considered one of the most important political philosophers of the last century. Although his name is bound to certain political conservatism, his work has been revisited from different ideological standpoints. This paper aims precisely to dialogue with recent interpretations of the work of Oakeshott regarding state interventionism. The question that emerges in this paper is as follows: the political philosophy of Michael Oakeshott provides a useful framework for the study of social policy? If so, what are the limits and possibilities of this framework? We demonstrate that the work of Michael Oakeshott can be useful to a reformist view of social policy.

The "Silent Reserves" of the Patriarchal Chinese Welfare System: Women as "Hidden" Contributors to Chinese Social Policy.

Scholars of social inequality in China have commonly concentrated on strata-related social welfare systems that divide the population into urban and rural dwellers, and additionally, into different welfare classes such as civil servants, employees, and migrant workers. Following Esping-Andersen, Siaroff, Sainsbury, and others, this paper brings the perspective of “gendering welfare” into the study of Chinese social policy. Focusing upon two major social policy branches in China—the old age pension insurance system and care services within the household—it discusses the role of Chinese women in these two fields. Through a gender-sensitive analysis, this paper elaborates the social phenomenon of “silent reserves” (namely, women) within the Chinese welfare regime. While women assume a crucial role in intrafamily care services, constituting the chief contributors of long-term care and childcare, their care contributions at home are not recognized as “social achievements” and are not monetarily compensated by the patriarchal Chinese welfare state. In addition, this paper argues that women are systematically disadvantaged by pension insurance arrangements. Furthermore, the individualization of care services in the intrafamily context weakens the pension entitlements of women, since their unpaid care constrains their ability to maintain full-time jobs in the labor market.

A comparative study of social responsibility policy in the private business sector and public universities

This paper is based on identifying the differences and similarities in social responsibility in the public and private sectors, and how it has evolved. Grupo KUO, companies in the automotive sector and the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico as a public institution, around specific rules of application materials, retaking the standards developed by the ISO 26000 standard for liability: for this article two case studies were taken social. Finally able to identify the impact that social responsibility in every organization, not just internal or institutional form but also in their environment, enabling display the impact thereof, together in the cultural and social context.

Criminalizing children: welfare and the state in Australia By David McCallum Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Studies in Law and Society Series, 2017. 978‐1845656676, 316 pp, Hardcover $116.00, Paperback $35.99.

Criminalizing children: welfare and the state in Australia By David McCallum Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Studies in Law and Society Series, 2017. 978‐1845656676, 316 pp, Hardcover $116.00, Paperback $35.99.

Reappraisal of the political approach on East Asian welfare state development: the case of childcare expansion in South Korea

PurposePolitical analyses of the East Asian welfare state development often stress the importance of the power resource model, in which vibrant coalitions between the leftist party, interest groups, civil society and working-class unions have become driving factors in producing generous welfare outcomes. Challenging such analyses, this article discusses the convergence of the political attitude between political actors who are increasingly homogeneous (supportive) when it comes to the universal welfare state notion by focussing on childcare in South Korea.Design/methodology/approachBy using desk review of the peer-reviewed literature and reports, this article investigates the causation for why political parties with different political ideologies were keen on extending childcare programs and its outcome in addressing the existing demographic problems in Korea.FindingsAlthough the collective movement, especially in the 1990s and 2000s, had given important contributions to the early development of childcare in South Korea, more breakthroughs in childcare features were precisely and rapidly developed after politicians from different spectrums of political affiliations converged in their supportive attitude of the universal welfare. The driving factors of political convergence itself are not merely due to electoral competition or political activism; furthermore, it can be linked to the increased global institution involvement in domestic policy with extensive permeability, which, have ruined domestic policy development maintained for ideological reasoning and bring in more popular policy setting.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the growing literature on the political aspect of East Asian social policy studies, which goes beyond the traditional power resource analysis and makes a novel contribution to the childcare policy studies.

Formation of Russian identity in the context of socio-economic policy

Introduction. The study of the conditions and factors of the modern process of formation and strengthening of Russian identity is actualized by the interrelated causes of the conceptual and practical-political plan. The purpose of the article is to draw the attention of researchers to the socio-economic issues of Russian identity formation at the present stage. Materials and Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is an organic approach to achieving the strategic goals of the state national policy, which makes it possible to exclude the opposition of civil and ethno-cultural components in the Russian identity and to ensure the formation of civil unity on the basis of preserving the country’s ethno-cultural diversity. The author analyzes the legal documents in the sphere of state national policy of the Russian Federation, scientific works of Russian scientists containing data from numerous sociological studies on ethnonational and socio-economic problems, including comparative studies of identity policy and social policy of European countries and Russia. Results. It is proved that the heuristic potential of the organic approach makes it possible to recognize a possible imbalance in the structure of Russian identity due to an underestimation of priority factors that affect the process of its formation in a specific historical period of the country’s development. On the basis of organic methodology and analysis of secondary data, the priority role of the socio-economic factor in the modern process of forming Russian identity is revealed, which is due to the higher social demands of Russians to the state in comparison with European countries. The article shows the negative impact of deep socio-economic and socio-professional differentiation that has developed in modern Russia on the formation of Russian identity, which exacerbates social and psychological tension and reduces the assessment of most parameters of the quality of life by Russians. Discussion and Conclusion. The analysis allows us to conclude that the role of the socio-economic factor in the formation of the all-Russian civil self-consciousness and spiritual community of the Russian nation in modern Russia is ambiguous. On the one hand, Russians put social indicators first, determining their well-being and the desired future of the country. On the other hand, unresolved social problems, such as low wages, lead to the formation of civil unity in a negative way, in the understanding of the disrespect of the state power to its own people and to the future of Russia. The expected effect of implementing an organic approach to the process of forming the Russian identity as a complex, historically developing phenomenon under the influence of various factors is the ability to adjust the modern state development strategy in the direction of creating a strong social state with a high level and quality of life of citizens, to promote their positive identification.

How social policy impacts inequalities in political efficacy

AbstractPolitical efficacy—the feeling that one is able to effectively participate in politics and also that her input is worthwhile—is an important precursor to numerous political activities, most prominently voting. Beyond individual resources, there is growing evidence that social policies also matter for inequalities in political efficacy. This review centers on the concept of political efficacy and its dimensions to highlight the ways in which social policies can promote or hamper people's subjective beliefs about their role vis‐à‐vis the state. I review studies examining the ways in which social policies can shape political efficacy, focusing on social policy design and administration. Particular attention is given to the policy feedback literature, which posits that policies can influence political efficacy through the channels of resource and interpretive effects. The review concludes by discussing the limitations and challenges of the topic and also outlines areas for the further study of political efficacy and social policy.

Государственная социальная политика на современном этапе развития России

The effectiveness of the state social policy largely determines the production of quality public goods by state structures, the improvement of the demographic situation, the comprehensive development of human capital, the improvement of social well-being and the socio-economic development of the country as a whole. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to reseasch the main directions of state social policy in Russia and assess the effectiveness of the social sector. The methodological basis of the study was the Keynesian concept of state regulation of the economy, since the state sets basic social standards, provides social protection for the population and social guarantees. We conducted the study using Rosstat data reflecting the main indicators of the social sphere of Russia. We determined the overall effectiveness of State social policy on the basis of changes in demographic processes, indicators of the living standards of the population, the volume of state social expenditures, the functioning of the education system, health care and social services. We studied the difficult demographic situation in Russia. We considered indicators of the living standards of the population and a decrease in their level, an increase in poverty and a significant social stratification in society; analyzed government spending on education, health and social policy; summarized the main problems in the educational sphere in the provision of medical services and in the process of state social services of the population; established that the functioning of the social sphere does not fully meet social needs, and the activities of the social sector of the state are ineffective. The proposed study of state social policy demonstrates its relevance to Russian society.

Who Seeks State Support In The New Russia And Why?

This paper investigates the underlying nature of the demand for state support in Russia in the labor market and employment, social investments, and material support. Based on recent findings from social policy studies, the authors tested four different mechanisms: (a) the demographic features of the population, (b) household incomes and disposable assets including human and social capital, (c) interests, and (d) locus of control and cultural attitudes. Drawing on an all-Russian representative monitoring survey conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2018, the authors argue that the population’s demand for state support has a very complex nature. The relative effect of income has a paradoxical nature. On the one hand, the Russian data confirm the hypothesis of ‘the altruistic rich’, developed in recent studies, which predicts that, in societies with high inequalities, higher incomes boost the likelihood of demand for redistributive policies. On the other hand, higher incomes foster state escapism among those Russians who do not consider the state as a reliable agent capable of solving their problems.

Social Policy and the Dynamics of Neoliberalism: The My House, My Life Program and the Commodified Mediation of Housing

A study of social policy under the governments of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers’ Party—PT) focused on the My House, My Life program shows that the recent political cycle associated with Lulism was not an inflection of neoliberalism but an adaptation of it to the context. The program is an instance of the commodification of housing in that it mobilizes public funds as an instrument of capital accumulation and intensifies the financialization of the real estate sector. Contrary to the view that associates neoliberalism with the minimal state, the state here plays a key role in the neoliberalization process, whose meaning is the commodification of all life. Um estudo de política social sob os governos do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), focado no programa Minha Casa, Minha Vida, mostra que o recente ciclo político associado ao Lulismo não foi uma inflexão do neoliberalismo, mas uma adaptação dele ao contexto. O programa é um exemplo da mercantilização da habitação, na medida em que mobiliza recursos públicos como instrumento de acumulação de capital e intensifica a financeirização do setor imobiliário. Ao contrário da visão que associa o neoliberalismo ao estado mínimo, o estado aqui desempenha um papel fundamental no processo de neoliberalização, cujo significado é a mercantilização de toda a vida.

Акушерство в Англии: вчера, сегодня, завтра

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The Impossibility of Being “Perfect and White”: Black Girls’ Racialized and Gendered Schooling Experiences

The African American Policy Forum and the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies states, “The risks that Black and other girls of color confront rarely receive the full attention of researchers, advocates, policymakers, and funders.” The limited awareness of the challenges that Black girls face perpetuates the mischaracterization of their attitudes, abilities, and achievement. Thus, school becomes an inhospitable place where Black girls receive mixed messages about femininity and goodness and are held to unreasonable standards. This study explores how Black girls describe and understand their school experiences as racialized and gendered and the ways a conversation space allows Black girls’ meaning making about and critical examination of individual and collective schooling experiences.