The Politics of Welfare in the Global South

This book is a comprehensive reference for conducting political analyses of emerging welfare systems in the Global South. It places a central emphasis on decolonizing social policy literature by developing empirically grounded theories and concepts illuminating societies in both the Global South and North. These case studies contribute to theoretical generalizations capable of explaining universal principles that are relevant to both the Global South and North.

List of contents

• Dedication


• Preface


• Chapter 1: The Politics of Welfare in the Global South: An Introduction


• Sattwick Dey Biswas and Cleopas Gabriel Sambo


• Chapter 2: Exchanging Theories and Concepts on Welfare Policies between North and South


• Ivan Harsløf


• Chapter 3: What Kind of Welfare States Are on the Rise in the Global South?


• Einar Øverbye


• Chapter 4: Constructing Social Rights for the Poor: Entitlements to Social Cash Transfers across the Global South


• Lutz Leisering and Katrin Weible


• Chapter 5: Anti-Poverty Interventions across "Most Different" Settings: Considering Change over Time in Comparisons of Emotional Impact


• Erika Gubrium


• Chapter 6: Conditional and Unconditional Universalism: Normative Difference and the Slow Expansion of Social Protection in Africa


• Jeremy Seekings


• Chapter 7: Decentralization and Its Impacts on Disability Service Delivery in China: An Example of Providing Accessible Government Websites


• Biao He, Rune Halvorsen, Peng Ding, and Wanhong Zhang


• Chapter 8: Gender in Welfare in the South: An Unruly Category?


• Cleopas Gabriel Sambo


• Chapter 9: Comparative Urbanism and Travelling Theory: Gentrification as a Global Urban Concept for Discussing Social Displacement and the Right to Wellbeing in the City


• Heidi Bergsli


• Chapter 10: The Politics of Social Protection in Latin America


• Armando Barrientos


• Chapter 11: The Politics of Poverty Alleviation in China


• Robert Walker and Yang Lichao


• Chapter 12: Conclusion: Subversion of the Anti-Politics Machine of Development: Emerging and Alternative Concepts of Citizenship in the South


• Sony Pellissery

About the author

Sattwick Dey Biswas is an Independent Researcher. In 2019, he earned his doctorate at the School of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, Germany. He published his doctoral thesis as a book titled Land Acquisition and Compensation in India: Mysteries of Valuation (2020). Dey Biswas is the coordinator of the History of Economic Thought Working Group at the Institute for New Economic Thinking's Young Scholars Initiative. Currently, he is working in Land Policy, Social Policy, and Political Economy.

Cleopas Gabriel Sambois a postdoctoral research fellow in social policy at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway and a lecturer in social work and sociology at the University of Zambia. He is a prominent researcher in the field of social policy; his areas of interest include poverty, politics, transformative social protection, wellbeing, and the ethics of everyday life. Through his extensive research,Cleopasaims to uncover the intricate political and ethical aspects that influence daily life while also providing valuable insights for evidence-based policy development to address critical societal challenges. He obtained his doctoral degree from Oxford University in 2018 as a recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship.

Sony Pellissery is Professor and Director of the Institute of Public Policy, National Law School of India University, Bangalore. His special interests are in the areas of distributive justice and social rights. After earning his doctoral degree from Oxford University, he served as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (2007-2013). Pellissery has won the India Social Science Research Award (2009) and Ram Reddy Memorial Social Science Award (2015) for his academic contributions.

Summary

This book serves as a comprehensive reference for conducting political analyses of emerging welfare systems in the Global South. These countries have adopted a development-oriented approach, distinct from the social policy trajectory observed in industrialized capitalist states. However, the pervasive influence of globalization since the 1990s has significantly reshaped policy priorities in these regions. Notably, political discourse surrounding social policy concepts developed in the Northern capitalist states has gained prominence.

Irrespective of the geographical focus of the chapters, the book delves into fundamental social policy concepts and debates. These include the ongoing discourse between "universalism" and "selectivity," the challenges posed by the welfare residuum, the intricate role of institutional norms and apparatuses in achieving justice or engendering feelings of shame among social assistance recipients, and the examination of "absolute" and "relative" poverty. Additionally, the book investigates the pendulum shift within social welfare policies, the complex politics surrounding the portrayal of welfare recipients, and the newly established link between poverty and shame.

Comprising 12 chapters, the book employs a case study-based approach to test the applicability and universality of social policy theories and concepts. The central focus lies in assessing the adaptability of concepts and theories developed in the Global North to comprehend the intricacies of welfare politics in the Global South. These case studies contribute to theoretical generalizations capable of explaining universal principles that are relevant to both the Global South and North.

Additional text

This volume is not only a beautiful homage to Ivar Lødemel's academic legacy but is, in its own right, an impressive and scientifically authoritative compendium of welfare state' developments in the Global South. It is a collection destined to become required reading in advanced social policy courses.

Product details

• Authors: Biswas, Sattwick (EDT)/ Sambo Dey Biswas
• Assisted by: Sattwick Dey Biswas (Editor), Sony Pellissery (Editor), Cleopas Gabriel Sambo (Editor)
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 27.10.2024
• EAN: 9780197698686
• ISBN: 978-0-19-769868-6
• No. of pages: 336
• Series: International Policy Exchange
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > General, dictionaries; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Affairs & Administration, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Human Services, Developing Countries, Social welfare & social services, Social welfare and social services, Central / national / federal government, Central government, Global South / Developing countries