Social Welfare Policy Research Articles

Integrity vs Despair: A Phenomenological Study on Filipino Widowed Elderly Lived Experiences

This phenomenological study elucidated the lived experiences of seven Filipino widowed elderly in Bulacan through in-depth interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of transcribed interviews yielded multifaceted insights. Findings revealed three domains that were deemed vital in the study: (1) relationship of the widowed elders with their family; (2) aging experience of widowed elders in relation to widowhood; and (3) perception of widowed elders on dying in relation to widowhood. The participants cherished spousal bonds that provided meaning amidst occasional conflicts. Spousal loss impacted physical health, mental well-being, emotions, and social connections. Participants displayed resilience anchored in familial support, faith, and inner contentment, yet regrets and vulnerabilities persisted during bereavement. Reflections on mortality revealed acceptance of death, valuing familial harmony, and aspiring for loved ones’ well-being. This study offers qualitative insights into nuances, challenges, and sources of strength shaping elderly Filipino bereavement experiences. It contributes to scholarly understanding of marginalized elderly Filipinos’ needs, informing supportive interventions, community engagement, and social welfare policies. Recommendations include strengthening support systems and implementing community elderly programs. Further, research on male elderly and mixed-method approaches would be beneficial. The knowledge produced can guide evidence-based services addressing multifaceted demands in grieving spousal loss amidst aging.

Navigating Adolescence: Addressing Mental Health Challenges through Social Work Practice and Policy

Adolescent mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, particularly during the tumultuous period of adolescence. Despite increased awareness, depression and anxiety disorders remain prevalent among adolescents, necessitating early intervention. This paper examines the interaction of adolescent mental health, social work practice, and social welfare policy. It explores the challenges adolescents face, including the impact of social media and various risk factors, and the role of social workers in addressing these challenges within the framework of social welfare policies. Additionally, it discusses preventative measures such as mindfulness programs in schools and community support initiatives, as well as challenges and barriers to effective intervention. Overall, this paper underscores the importance of comprehensive and collaborative approaches to promoting adolescent mental health and well-being.

The Idea of Abolition: Ending Social Work Sanctioned State Violence Commentary submitted to The Journal of Social Work and Social Welfare Policy

The Idea of Abolition: Ending Social Work Sanctioned State Violence Commentary submitted to The Journal of Social Work and Social Welfare Policy

Индийско-китайские экономические направления – на пути к четвертой промышленной революции

As the second and fifth largest economies in the world, China and India have embraced the vicissitudes of world economy and re-adjusting their policies to strengthen their economies as well as to usher in a multipolar world. Both have launched their long-term strategic plans for self-strengthening in Made in China 2025, “socialist modernisation” by 2049 by China and Vikas (Development)/Viksit Bharat (Developed India) 2047 campaigns by India. In its current 14th Five Year Plan, China had announced a shift towards an innovation-driven model, emphasising technological advancements and domestic consumption. India had also launched Make in India, Skill India, Digital India and other plans. Despite challenges, both of these countries are currently experiencing massive social transformations in human resources development, talent generation, industrial growth specifically knowledge economy and other related fields. Both China and India have also been aware of the socio-economic stress that globalisation has set in and hence have undertaken social welfare policies like addressing “san nong”, “jandhan” (direct bank transfers) and other schemes. It is argued that, despite problems, the efforts of China and India are transforming the socio-economic fabrics of these countries.

Determinants of choosing in-kind benefits over cash: A study among Nepalese farmers.

This study investigates the determinants of choosing in-kind benefits over cash transfers when their respective values are equivalent. Employing a rigorous two-step experiment with a large sample size (n = 962), we offer real monetary rewards to respondents. In the first step, we asked whether the respondents would choose NRs. 1,000 (≈ US dollars 9) in cash or in-kind benefit that is worth NRs. 1,000. We observe that approximately two-thirds of participants opt for in-kind benefits of equal value to the proposed cash transfer. In analyzing the factors influencing this preference, our results indicate that households with higher non-farm incomes are less likely to choose in-kind benefits. Increasing the non-farm income by NRs. 100,000 respondents are 0.2% less likely to choose in-kind benefits. Furthermore, households with limited savings demonstrate a higher preference toward in-kind benefits over cash transfers. Not having NRs. 25,000 savings would make respondents 10% more likely to choose in-kind benefits. Previously receiving in-kind benefits also increase the likelihood of choosing them over cash. Additionally, households with restricted market access are more inclined to opt for in-kind benefits. Notably, in the second step of the experiment which involves only those who chose cash in the first step of the experiment, only 48% of respondents would opt for in-kind benefits even when values were higher by NRs. 150 to 450. This research sheds light on the factors affecting the decision-making process between in-kind benefits and cash transfers and provides insights into the design of effective social welfare policies. More specifically, findings from this study suggest tailored approaches for assisting people could be followed based on their income level and accessibility to the market.

학교밖청소년의 노동권 보장을 위한 정책 발전방안 연구: 한국과 프랑스 정책을 중심으로

This study aimed to systematically analyze the policies of Korea's Naeil Irum School and France's La Garantie Jeunes with an objective to propose a development measure to guarantee the labor rights of out-of-school youths. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, an analysis was attempted by dividing it into delivery system, benefit, policy target, and financial resources, which was the framework for the output analysis of social welfare policies proposed by Gilbert and Terrell(2005). As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that Korea is absent on the basis regulation of the delivery system and lacks expertise. In the case of benefit, the link between purpose and goal was insufficient, and the content of benefit was set to be centered on the provider. The problem of the policy target was shown to be the operation at the pilot project level and the absence of career exploration process. Finally, the securing of financial resources was not stable, and there was a lack of reality in the appropriation of training expense. Based on these results, proposals were made to reorganize the promotion system into the out-of-school youth support center, to provide consumer-centered service, to modify the statutes for the guarantee of labor rights, and to secure stable financial resources through general accounting.

Limits and development direction of Social welfare policy

Limits and development direction of Social welfare policy

Implementation of Machine Learning and Its Interpretation for Mapping Social Welfare Policy in Indonesia

This research leverages data from the 2022 Early Socio-Economic Registration (Regsosek) activity to develop a machine learning model capable of predicting family expenditure levels based on the Proxy Mean Test (PMT) with high accuracy. By integrating the SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) method for model interpretation, we identify the contributions of socio-economic features to expenditure predictions and link them to relevant social assistance programs. We compare two regions, Kulonprogo Regency and Yogyakarta City, representing varying poverty levels, and identify unique characteristics influencing family welfare in each area. The results highlight that effective policy interventions must be tailored to the unique characteristics of each region and family, taking into account dimensions such as housing, education, income, and community expenditures. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, demonstrating that successful poverty alleviation policies are data-driven and adaptable to the diverse socio-economic realities across regions.

Internal Migration Policies in China: Patterns and Determinants of the Household Registration Reform Policy Design in 2014

AbstractThis study exploits rich data sources to investigate city-level patterns of internal migration policies in response to the reform of Chinese household registration and the economic, political and sociocultural determinants that drive policy approaches. First, we collected and systematically coded policy documents from 231 cities. Cluster analyses showed that the majority of cities (63%) adopted less lenient selection policies while offering integrative social welfare policies. Rights to internal migration remain selectively granted in China, yet rights to welfare have become more equitable than they were in the past because of the reform. Second, multinomial regression analyses showed that economic development and growth are related to selection policies that are more lenient towards high-skilled migrants, whereas top-down controls of superior governments, local politicians’ characteristics (e.g. tenure concerns and hometown favouritism) and migrants’ sociocultural environments (e.g. pre-existing labour disputes) account for both selection and integration policies.

Social Housing - A Key Part of Past and Pandemic Impacts

This Social housing represents a crucial facet of social welfare policy and affordable housing provision, constituting over 28 million residences, accounting for approximately 6% of the total housing inventory in OECD and non-OECD EU nations. Considerable variations exist among countries regarding the definition, scale, extent, target demographic, and provider types within the realm of social housing. Although social mixing remains a primary goal in many countries' social housing sectors, there's a growing concentration of lower- income and vulnerable occupants, leading to a diminished diversity of income levels. This trend poses challenges to the economic viability of the sector, fostering an increased spatial clustering of poverty and disadvantage. The size of the social housing sector has dwindled in recent years in nearly all countries with available data, except for six, while the absolute count of social housing units has declined in just four countries with available data. This decline can be attributed, in part, to reduced public investment in housing stock. The pandemic has significantly disrupted construction, rendering it challenging for numerous households to afford shelter and adversely impacting the housing sector. Many countries have initiated substantial revitalization projects to enhance the quality of social dwellings and their surrounding neighborhoods, aiming to address persistent challenges associated with social housing, such as segregation. Policymakers must ensure that renovation efforts do not displace low-income households. Key Words: Social housing, OECD, crisis, response, Finance, Pandemic.

Dünyada kadın yoksulluğunun genel görünümü

various strata of society, but it particularly impacts women and children deeply. Poverty encompasses not only income deficiency for women but also the lack of social participation, leading to social exclusion. However, the question of whether poverty should be considered primarily as a women's issue or examined from a broader perspective is a subject of debate, as women can be disproportionately affected due to a gender-biased perspective.
 Recent research indicates that in contemporary societies, women are more adversely affected by poverty compared to men. Gender inequality and income disparities often restrict women's access to education, limit employment opportunities, push them into low-paying jobs, or hinder their workforce participation due to domestic responsibilities. Studies conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) highlight the prevalence of global gender inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab Peninsula, and many South Asian countries. These studies also reveal that gender inequality is more pronounced in countries with low to medium levels of human development. Consequently, regions like the Arab Peninsula and South Asia exhibit extremely low rates of female workforce participation. Moreover, these regions often witness a significant lack of female representation in their parliaments.
 Among the fundamental causes of women's poverty are deficiencies in education and negative societal attitudes towards women. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to elevate women's educational levels and encourage their participation in the labor force. Studies have shown a correlation between increasing women's education levels and economic growth. Consequently, governments should review employment policies and social security mechanisms to enhance women's access to employment opportunities. Social assistance policies should be implemented with a rights-based approach and should encompass women. Addressing the excessive burden of household chores, gender-based discrimination, and patriarchal attitudes limiting women's career choices is of paramount importance. Transforming societal norms and dismantling gender biases are necessary for this purpose. The combat against female poverty necessitates the active engagement of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the realm of social policy implementations, social assistance programs, governmental initiatives related to gender-responsive budgeting, and the practices of financial institutions concerning microcredit.

Politik Kesejahteraan Sosial dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat: Kasus Ketergantungan Kebijakan Bantuan Sosial di Temanggung, Jawa Tengah

<p>One of the government's strategies for overcoming poverty is to reduce the burden of public expenditure, which is realized in the form of social assistance. The government's social welfare policy in the form of social assistance is something that is truly phenomenal and is always eagerly awaited by the recipients. One of the effects is to provide a sense of security and feel like you are in a comfort zone, in other words, dependence on social assistance. But there are beneficiaries who are dissatisfied with their situation, they want positive changes and not to be recipients of social assistance forever. They made conscious changes by empowering their group of fellow recipients of the Family Hope Program's social assistance. This research is field research in the form of a case study located in Temanggung Regency with the research object being a Joint Business Group which carries out the establishment and initial capital independently, namely from the results of setting aside some of the social assistance money they receive. The research method used is a qualitative descriptive method, while data is obtained from observations, interviews and documentation studies from related sources. This article tries to review the theme with Anthony Giddens' structuration theory, which states that all social action requires agents and structures where agents and structures cannot be separated from each other because they are dual. This also happens to Joint Business Groups as agents and government policies as structures, both of which are interrelated and influence each other.</p><p> </p>

How Social Welfare Programs Impact Mass Immigration in Norway and Canada

This research paper examines the effectiveness of social welfare policies in managing mass immigration in Norway and Canada. With increasing global migration, countries face the challenge of integrating immigrants while sustaining their welfare systems. Norway emphasizes state-centered support, facilitating immigrants' rapid integration through comprehensive social welfare programs. This approach promotes socio-economic well-being and labor market participation, fueled by a commitment to social solidarity and inclusive group boundaries. Additionally, Norway invests in education and language training, ensuring immigrants' long-term self-sufficiency.
 Canada, on the other hand, employs an inclusive approach, providing equal access to a range of welfare programs tailored to immigrants' needs. This strategy fosters a sense of belonging and self-reliance among immigrants, reducing their reliance on government assistance. While both nations offer unique insights, their approaches achieve success through different avenues: Norway prioritizes rapid integration and social cohesion, while Canada focuses on fostering self-sufficiency and reducing welfare dependence. The study underscores the need for evidence-based policy decisions that strike a balance between immigrants' needs and sustainable welfare systems. By understanding the successes and challenges of mass immigration policies, policymakers can create comprehensive and effective strategies that promote integration, social cohesion, and economic well-being.

Housing Experimentation and Design Guides: Affordable Housing in Guangzhou since 2006

This paper examines the recent growth of government-led affordable housing in Guangzhou, addressing a paucity of global housing studies that explore experimental and contextual policy approaches in China. It also addresses the lack of Chinese housing studies recognizing the impact of housing design governance, including regulatory controls and design standards, on housing preferences, supply and lifestyles. Since 1995, the supply of affordable housing has surged, now surpassing that of market housing for the first time. This response to failures in the private housing market and a lack of equitable access to housing signifies a significant shift, acknowledging the need to re-establish a state-led and long-term public housing supply after decades of housing marketization. Employing an architectural design research perspective, this paper investigates the interplay between affordable housing supply and the emergence of housing standards, examining resulting housing design outcomes. It poses the question: What changes in housing policy and interventions in housing markets are necessary to increase public rental housing supply, and how do these changes affect housing outcomes? The paper explores these questions through a discussion of the key moments in affordable housing policy and housing estate development in Guangzhou that facilitated the creation of widely accessible public housing and long-term housing assets. This provides new insights into China’s unique approach to translating central government social welfare and housing policy through contextual design experimentation and pilot housing projects, departing from the conventional top-down policy implementation found in most other countries.

Social Welfare Policy in Post-Transition Chile: Social Democratic or Neoliberal?

Chile’s massive 2019 protests indicate a pronounced discrepancy between the country’s alleged establishment of social democracy and the public’s perception of pervasive inequity. To understand this discrepancy, this analysis evaluates the extent to which Chilean social welfare policy conforms to social democratic norms of promoting solidarity, equity, and universalism. Analysis of poverty reduction, pension, health care, and education policy demonstrates that Chile’s center-left governments succeeded in mitigating some of the more extreme elements of the social welfare policies inherited from the Pinochet regime. However, they failed to reverse their underlying logic, which reinforces stratification and inequity and undermines incentives for the cultivation of solidarity among the working and middle classes. As a result, social welfare policy in Chile continues to resemble the neoliberal welfare regime implemented by the Pinochet dictatorship while the establishment of a social democratic welfare regime remains an aspiration for present and future leftist governments to realize.

Joint liability and aggravation? An inspection of legislative and judicial practices in cases of the crime of the abduction, sale, and purchase of women and children in China

Human trafficking is a harmful, widespread and pressing issue that demands attention. However, the prevalence of such crimes may vary across different countries and time periods, which means that there may not be a universal solution to addressing them. In response to the recent public outcry sparked by the incident of the woman chained in Feng County, Xuzhou, this article provides a comprehensive review of China’s legislative and judicial responses to crimes against women and children who are abducted and sold, as well as the corresponding governance effects and causes. This study examines whether the punishment for buying and trafficking women and children should be increased through criminal law amendments and whether the current public outrage calling for equal punishment for buyers and sellers is justified. To provide a rational response to these issues, the article reviews all relevant laws, regulations, judicial cases, and typical cases from 1979 to 2022. An analysis of the change in case processing over the years was conducted using MATLAB software with the baseline panel regression model, robustness checks, and mechanism tests. This study reveals a decline on human trafficking crimes in China, but four provinces (Yunnan, Henan, Shandong, and Fujian) have a higher incidence. The article offers a comprehensive analysis from both macro and micro perspectives. National macro factors such as economic development, social welfare policies, rural revitalization, and COVID-19 prevention contribute to the decline. From a micro perspective, local differences in these provinces are a significant reason for high incidence from a micro perspective. This article suggests that legal amendments to increase punishment would be ineffective. Instead, existing legal provisions should be applied, and decision-making rules from typical cases should be utilized.

How Social Values Affect Welfare Attitudes? A Cross-National Comparison

This preliminary study examines how social values explain the cross-national differences in welfare attitudes, grounded in Inglehart and Baker’s (2000) social value theory. By employing secondary data collected by World Values Survey [WVS], this preliminary study empirically tested two hypotheses: (H1) Nations that emphasize the secular-rational values have more pro-welfare attitudes than the nations encouraging the traditional values; and (H2) Nations that promote the values of self-expression have more pro-welfare attitudes than nations that foster survival values. Results of the study demonstrated social values significantly affects public’s welfare attitude, controlling economic and ideological factors. People in societies which promote the value of self-expression, such as respect for diversity and political participation, are more likely to support more expansive social welfare policies.

Monitoring healthy ageing for the next decade: South Korea's perspective.

South Korea is the fastest ageing country among OECD countries. Unlike the older generation growing up in the aftermath of the Korean war, the first and second baby boomer generations have heightened expectations regarding public services. In addition to the demand in higher quality of both social and health services by these newer older population, there is a concomitant increased quantitative demand. It is imperative that Korea reimagines their health, social welfare and economic policies to reflect the rapidly changing needs of such generations. One way to do this is to mainstream and continually monitor healthy ageing in all aspects of future policies. In 2021, the Korean Longitudinal Healthy Aging Study was launched in this context, to better understand the needs of the new-older age generation and to produce evidence to support formulation of better tailored policies that could promote healthy ageing. However, Korea is only in its early stage in developing a monitoring system that looks into the performance level of policies that support healthy ageing. As a country that is preparing for such rapid demographic transition and has already commenced developing its healthy ageing indicators, it will be important to assess and monitor uniformly the level of healthy ageing from the framework perspective of WHO. Korea welcomes WHO's development of an internationally applicable M&E framework for healthy ageing. We hope that WHO's M&E framework on healthy ageing will help Korea align to the international standards in its journey through the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030 and beyond.

Social protection and absorptive capacity: Disaster preparedness and social welfare policy in the United States

Climate change exacerbates drivers of impoverishment, necessitating a more robust evidence base to inform policy and action. Recent studies have examined how social protection programs tie into climate action and disaster risk reduction globally; however, this remains underexamined in high-income country contexts. Our study aims to address this gap by investigating the association between social protection and disaster preparedness in the United States. We hypothesize that reducing household vulnerability through welfare recipience builds long-term resilience and capacity for better risk-mitigation decisions. We examined how households prepare for a disaster and conceptualized disaster preparedness as a capability at the household level using nationally representative data from the American Housing Surveys 2017. The study employed multiple regression analyses and the Karlson/Holm/Breen method to decompose the total, direct, and indirect effects of welfare recipience on the association between household social vulnerabilities and disaster preparedness. On average, households scored 5.01 on a nine-item preparedness scale; higher preparedness was positively associated with higher income and education, a male household head, the presence of an older adult, and non-welfare recipience. Welfare recipience mediated the association of disaster preparedness with the presence of a person with a disability at home, socioeconomic status, and race. This analysis strengthens the hypothesis that welfare recipience could potentially mediate disaster preparedness capabilities among households, pointing to a probable shock absorber effect that can offset vulnerabilities experienced by communities.

Child Abuse Prevention in a Pandemic—A Natural Experiment in Social Welfare Policy

Child Abuse Prevention in a Pandemic—A Natural Experiment in Social Welfare Policy