Introduction
This book provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge research on social policy and welfare, forming a definitive guide to the subject. It presents original contributions by leading authors, selected by an editor internationally recognized as a pre-eminent authority within the field. These titles are truly international in their scope and coverage, and use a comparative approach to analyze key research themes. Equally useful as reference tools or high-level introductions to specific topics, methods, and debates, these Handbooks will be a vital resource for academic researchers and postgraduate students.
Key Insights
Functions of Social Protection
Social protection has multiple functions, including:
- Preventive function: Helps prevent poverty by supporting risk management.
- Protective function: Alleviates poverty by supporting those below a defined minimum.
- Promotive function: Reduces vulnerability by stabilizing income streams.
- Transformative function: Removes barriers to social equality and inclusion.
Key Statistics & Data
- 55% of the world’s population is not covered by any social protection benefit.
- 87% of people are uncovered in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- 61% of people are uncovered in Asia and the Pacific.
Implications and Conclusions
The book understands social protection as the entirety of policies and programmes that protect people against poverty and risks to their livelihoods and well-being. Universal social protection is achieved through a nationally defined system of policies and programmes that provide equitable access to all people and protect them throughout their lives against poverty and risks to their livelihoods and well-being. This protection can be provided through a range of mechanisms, including in cash or in-kind benefits, contributory or non-contributory schemes, and programmes to enhance human capital, productive assets, and access to jobs. This ambitious approach provides a framework for countries to design their own context-specific social protection systems.
Key Points
- Social protection is a key instrument for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
- A systems approach to social protection is essential for a harmonised and coordinated approach across different social protection instruments, institutions, actors and delivery mechanisms.
- Social protection is the entirety of policies and programmes that protect people against poverty and risks to their livelihoods and well-being.
- Social protection has a preventive, protective, promotive, and transformative function.
- Social protection contributes to economic development by enabling low-income households to address risks and shocks, reduce pressure on networks, and strengthen readiness to invest in productive assets.
- Social protection can positively impact political development by reaching out to those who are socially and economically excluded, alleviating citizens' concerns, and demonstrating state care.
- Challenges to social protection systems include rising inequality, ineffective economic policies, macro-shocks, global migration, ageing populations, climate change, fragile states and automation.