Social Policy in Emerging Welfare States

The Section explores new developments on social policy in countries with Emerging Welfare States (EWS). The primary purpose is to showcase a comprehensive, comparative and cross-regional analysis, which covers the study of social policy throughout the less developed countries. It is a topic with an ever-growing interest among scholars researching social welfare systems in the global south. One relevant aspect is how to approach the study of the EWS since their societies and their political and economic experience is completely different from what we know in mature welfare states of Europe and the USA. The organization of markets, the institutionalization of the state and the role of the family contrast among regions. The logic of industrialism is a relevant perspective for the analysis. Thus, we can expect a more developed WS where there is a high GNP, and it is possible to tax high revenues or corporate profits to finance welfare policies. The power resources perspective can be valuable in cases with an industrialized economy and organized unions, but not where a large part of labor is in the informal sector. The institutional analysis is also useful since the development of a state, and its public administration is a minimal condition for the EWS. Corruption, patronage networks and client organizations are significant limitations for the institutionalization of redistributive programs. Democracy can also be a pre-condition for the existence or universalization of social services. Finally, one can evaluate the presence of rent seekers such as trade unions that compete for welfare benefits. Several scholars have considered some questions related to the EWS models, but the discussions would strongly benefit with further research. For example: can we talk about welfare states or shall we make reference to welfare regimes? Is it possible to distinguish a particular pattern for the EWS’ development? Are the welfare models closer to a corporativist, liberal, social democratic model, or shall we talk about a mixed model? What role (if any) does the decolonization process have on the creation or institutionalization of welfare systems? To which degree has the EWS evolved into an institutional-redistributive welfare model? What degree of universalization has been reached in the EWS? Latin American countries followed a similar process of economic change during the twentieth century. Can the same be said about the ex-communist countries, East Asia, Arab countries or sub-Saharan countries? Latin America have a shared history of “import substitution” after the 60s that shaped the expansion of social policy. This region also share a significant debt crisis in the 80s, which led to restrictions, trade reforms, privatization and labor reforms in the so-called “Washington Consensus”. In the twenty-first century, the pink-tide or shift to the left increased the share of budgets towards welfare programmes. Are welfare systems converging into a single model or diverging into multiple models? Do regional structures stimulate the evolution of similar welfare systems across countries in the same region? Can we talk about regional EWS models? A multidimensional analysis of explanatory powers is also needed to assess the convergence versus divergence debate. What is the role of economic, political, and social conditions in the formation of the EMS? What variables need to be considered to examine the EWS that are useful to explain the creation of European welfare states. Another relevant field of analysis is related to particular policies. In addition to establishing a comprehensive welfare system, the primary goals of social policy in EWS are fighting poverty and informal labor. Panels will address some of the following questions: which are the central policies and mechanisms developed in the EWS? Is fighting poverty the primary goal of EWS? What are the patterns of anti-poverty programs? Can we talk about a turn towards an ‘assistencialist’ EWS because of the predominance of means-tested programs? Is there a way to reconcile programs for civil servants and workers of the informal sector? In the twenty-first-century cash transfers have been the flagship programs of EWS. However countries have embedded these social assistance programs using a multiplicity of patterns and structures across regions. In Latin America, conditional transfers to mothers with dependent children have been one of the central programs in the social policy menu. An example is Bolsa Familia in Brazil or Prospera in Mexico, which have been reproduced in most of the Latin American countries. Cash transfers to older people (e.g. social pensions) have been one of the most important policies in Africa, where they have been useful not only to reduce income deprivations but also to promote inclusive economic growth. In India, work credits have been the traditional way to handle social policy while in East Asia basic health services have been relevant in the twenty-first century. In Islamic countries such as Turkey or Iran, religious, charitable organizations play a critical role in the production of welfare while in other countries provident funds or microcredit banks take the leading role.