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The Continuing Enigmas of Social Policy

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Towards Universal Health Care in Emerging Economies

Part of the book series: Social Policy in a Development Context ((SPDC))

Abstract

The welfare regime approach to social policy is shown to be past its use-by date, not least for imposing an ever-expanding set of ideal types that do not fit unyieldingly variegated outcomes across sectors and countries. Moreover, like many other approaches, it tends to derive its analytical framing from the Keynesian period as opposed to forging an understanding of neoliberalism and the increasing role of financialization as a direct and indirect influence upon social policy. Alternatives should be posed in terms of addressing both the transformational/developmental role of social policy and its sector-specific systems of provision.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Millennium Development Goals programme and similar are not covered in this chapter. See Lancet Commission (2010).

  2. 2.

    Fine (2002), Bayliss and Fine (2008), and Bayliss et al. (2013).

  3. 3.

    For buzzwords and fuzzwords in development, those that have been used so universally and casually that they border on the meaningless and ideological, see Cornwall and Eade (2010).

  4. 4.

    Such developments have been understood within a Marxist perspective in terms of financial exploitation of workers, for which see Lapavitsas (2013) for an account and Fine (2010a, 2014a) for an alternative and critique.

  5. 5.

    Bayliss et al. (2013), Karacimen (2013), Saritas (2013), Churchill (2013), Fine (2013c), Robertson (2013, 2014).

  6. 6.

    Fine (2001, 2010b), Fine et al. (2001), Bayliss et al. (2011).

  7. 7.

    Almost unimaginably revealed by the formation of unelected and/or powerless governments in the EU!

  8. 8.

    For a critical account of the DSP for this and more generally, see Fine et al. (2013).

  9. 9.

    Mkandawire (2012), Fine (2016).

  10. 10.

    See Mkandawire (2004a, b) and subsequent volumes in the series.

  11. 11.

    For example, with applications separate from provisioning such as financing and the ethics of economics, see Fine (2013c, d).

  12. 12.

    Another weakness is its focus on welfare service delivery as opposed to income transfers (note, the mirror image of the WRA).

  13. 13.

    For critical approaches to CCTs on these terms see Lavinas (2013), and for the particularly successful Programa Bolsa Família in Brazil see Saad-Filho (2015).

  14. 14.

    Note that Ravallion’s (2008) own contribution only references at most a few pieces from outside the immediate orbit of the World Bank.

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    Ben Fine

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  1. Ben Fine
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  1. UNRISD, Geneva, Switzerland

    Ilcheong Yi

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Fine, B. (2017). The Continuing Enigmas of Social Policy. In: Yi, I. (eds) Towards Universal Health Care in Emerging Economies. Social Policy in a Development Context. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53377-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53377-7_2

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