The Politics of Welfare in the Global South

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. Cover Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Figures Tables Preface Author Bios 1 The Politics of Welfare in the Global South : An Introduction Does a Universal Language Matter? Chapters References 2 Exchanging Theories and Concepts on Welfare Policies Between North and South Introduction Background Overarching Theories of Societal Development The Welfare Modelling Business Gone Global Understanding Western Societies Through Concepts Derived from a Global South Context Conclusion References 3 What Kind of Welfare States are on the Rise in the Global South? Summary Defining Welfare Policy Convergence in Welfare Political Goals Convergence in Welfare Outcomes? Do We Witness Welfare Policy Convergence? Understanding the Politics of Welfare Policies Investigating Qualified Policy Convergence The Global South Is a Big Place Conclusion References 4 Constructing Social Rights for the Poor : Entitlements to Social Cash Transfers Across the Global South Summary Introduction: The Right to Social Security—​Also Spreading in the Global South? A New Approach to the Study of Social Cash Transfers and Social Rights The Right to Social Security: Conceptualization and Measurement Constructing Entitlements for the Poor: The Design of Social Cash Transfers Summing Up: What Entitlements, What Rights? Conclusion: Challenges and Barriers of Extending Rights-​Based Social Security Acknowledgements References 5 Antipoverty Interventions Across ‘Most Different’ Settings : Considering Change over Time in Comparisons of Emotional Impact Summary Comparing Change Across Settings Comparing Emotional Impact: Analysing for Change over Time Methodology Changing Socioeconomic Contexts Access (Coverage), Eligibility, and Status of Social Assistance Conclusion Acknowledgements References 6 Conditional and Unconditional Universalism : Normative Difference and the Slow Expansion of Social Protection in Africa Summary Introduction The Diverse and Evolving Meanings of Universalism in Social Protection International Organizations and the Promotion of Universalism in the 2000s Conditional Universalism in Africa Conclusion References 7 Decentralization and its Impacts on Disability Service Delivery in China : An Example of Providing Accessible Government Websites Summary Introduction Decentralization in China and its Impacts on Public Service Delivery How has the Post-​Reform Decentralization Impacted Disability Service Delivery in China? A Case of Accessible E-​Governance Service Provision Discussion Conclusion Acknowledgements References 8 Gender in Welfare in the South : An Unruly Category? Summary Introduction Methods Poverty and Welfare in Zambia Social Assistance as the Economic and Political Response Feminizing Social Assistance Rethinking Assumptions About Household Management Decisions and Priorities Within the Household Conclusion References 9 Comparative Urbanism and Travelling Theory : Gentrification as a Global Urban Concept for Discussing Social Displacement and the Right to Wellbeing in the City Summary Introduction Towards a Relational and Postcolonial Urban Research Agenda Gentrification: Conceptualizing Urban Displacement as a Class Shift Comparative Case Studies as a Methodological Framework for Urban Theory-​Building and Gentrification Research The Global Right to the City Movement The Way Forward: Gentrification as a Global Urban Research Agenda? References 10 The Politics of Social Protection in Latin America Summary Introduction Political Realignments and Social Protection Institutions Reconstructing the Politics of Welfare Institutions Power Resources and the ‘First Incorporation’? Persistent Social Protection Inequality? Conclusion References 11 The Politics of Poverty Alleviation in China Summary Eradicating Extreme Poverty Political Origins of Poverty Alleviation Poverty During the Time of Mao The Discovery of the Market, Facts, and Poverty Targeting Poverty Eradication Making Poverty Eradication Real and Visible Poverty Alleviation as Global Politics Acknowledgements References 12 Conclusion : Subversion of the Anti-​Politics Machine of Development: Emerging and Alternative Concepts of Citizenship in the South Summary Introduction Part I: Politics of Welfare in the Global South –​ A Three-​Dimensional View Part II: Emerging Forms of Citizenship Proposition 1: Quest for Self-​Sufficiency in a Globalizing World Proposition 2: Internal Legitimation of Autonomy Through Knowledge Revalorization Proposition 3: External Legitimation of Autonomy Through Rearrangements of Resources Proposition 4: Accountability as a Citizenship Demand Proposition 5: Solidaristic Welfare, but Not Back to Primordial Institutions? Proposition 6: Claiming the Social Function of Property Proposition 7: Demand for Worker Status Conclusion Acknowledgements References Index "The book aims to be a reference point for the sociopolitical analyses of welfare systems in the Global South. It is now generally agreed that the path to wealth development among the nations of the 'Global South' is substantially different from that of the nations of the 'Global North.' While the capital-rich industrialised capitalist states took the social policy road, the South has taken a developmentalist path. Colonialism and its lingering legacies, among many other things, have pushed countries of the Global South onto a different path-dependency than the Global North. However, in the last 30 years, there has been a rapid development and expansion in social policy in the Global South due to globalisation, including widespread market penetration, mobility of capital, a shift in the manufacturing heartlands, social movements, changing attitudes of the global multilateral and financial institutes, and demographic transformations, which have changed the priorities of policy makers in these nations"--