Why Social Policy is Condemned to a Residual Category of Safety Nets and What to Do About it

Abstract

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous agency engaging in multidisciplinary research on the social dimensions of contemporary problems affecting development. Its work is guided by the conviction that, for effective development policies to be formulated, an understanding of the social and political context is crucial. The Institute attempts to provide governments, development agencies, grassroots organizations and scholars with a better understanding of how development policies and processes of economic, social and environmental change affect different social groups. Working through an extensive network of national research centres, UNRISD aims to promote original research and strengthen research capacity in developing countries.

The Private Sector and Privatization in Social Services

“…2. Even Social Safety Nets, which are at best charity and at worst clientelistic, are supposed to be 'prevented from expanding' (see for example Cornia, 2001;Olivier et al, 2004;Tendler, 2002). 3.…”

The Political Economy of Chronic Poverty

“…In terms of the second observation above, without an adequate understanding of the barriers to productive economic participation, the chronically poor are often relegated to the category of passive recipients of safety-net social provision (Deacon, 2000: 37-38;Manji F, 2000;Tendler, 2002). It is the contention of this paper that it is in ameliorating their prior exclusion, or inclusion on highly adverse terms, within economic processes that offers the best long-term solution to reducing poverty.…”

Lucha contra la pobreza y extensión de la cobertura social en Colombia

“…El impacto de un modelo de crecimiento basado en recursos no renovables y de escasa generación de valor agregado sobre las posibilidades degeneración de empleo, de lucha contra la pobreza y de políticas sociales sostenibles es evidente. Más allá de la necesidad de salir de un enfoque micro de lucha contra la pobreza, por medio de mecanismos como la gestión social del riesgo, se trata de inscribir, como lo plantea Tendler (2004), tanto la política social como la generación de empleo en un espectro más amplio, vinculado al modelo de crecimiento y de desarrollo. Las formas que tome este último influyen sobre las posibilidades de extensión de la protección social, conexión que pasa por el aumento de la productividad que permite financiar los seguros sociales y cuyos costos obligan a las empresas a buscar ganancias por medio de mayores inversiones (greitd, 1993).…”