Measuring returns on social investment beyond here-and-now redistribution: A commentary on Parolin and Van Lancker’s response article

2021 ◽  
pp. 095892872110181
Author(s):  
Anton Hemerijck ◽  
Ilze Plavgo
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Family Formation ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Welfare Provision ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
European Social Policy

Social policy research is truly interdisciplinary with academics from very different theoretical perspectives working together in fervent open-mindedness towards diverse methodological approaches. The exploration of social investment (SI) welfare provision is a clear example of this spirit of interdisciplinary engagement, having stirred up critical scholarly reception and debate over the past decade. On the one hand, some colleagues underscore the potential of SI policies to improve life chances. On the other hand, some researchers voice concerns about perverse unintended consequences of SI. The most worrying scholarly critique of SI is the conjecture that SI policies reinforce rather than alleviate inequality and poverty, because of the operation of so-called Matthew effects (MEs). Parolin and Van Lancker’s commentary on our article ‘The social investment litmus test: family formation, employment and poverty’ falls within the purview of the ME critique, with some extension to other shortcomings discussed in the literature. These criticisms certainly deserve engagement, and we are grateful to the editorial board of the Journal of European Social Policy for inviting us to do so fully. In our commentary, we commence with the multidimensionality of 21st-century welfare state provision. Subsequently, we turn to the welfare state’s carrying capacity, which we maintain needs to be taken into consideration for leveraging positive feedback mechanisms between the micro and the macro level of welfare provision. By so doing, we elaborate on the implications of our research approach for understanding MEs, with insights as to how they are exacerbated or mitigated through policy (in-)complementarities. We then discuss the importance of considering synergies between policies for an improved understanding of SI returns and possible source(s) of MEs. Finally, we turn to the misconception that capacitating SI policies and compensatory consumption-smoothing and poverty alleviation are somehow in competition with each other, and discuss the normative orientation underlying SI welfare provision.

Social Policy

Sociology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Yerkes
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Welfare Provision ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
Wide Range

Social policy exists as an academic discipline but also refers to the practice of policymaking and administration (including service delivery). As an academic discipline, social policy is distinct in its empirical focus on welfare provision but overlaps with other social science fields such as sociology, political science, and public administration. From a narrow standpoint, social policy refers to policies and practices created to address the needs of individuals, i.e., to provide welfare. From a broader standpoint, social policy can be used to motivate individual behavior; is inherently related to the creation of social inequalities across class, gender, race, and sexualities; and is closely tied to capital. Social policy encompasses a wide range of policies, including activation, care, education, families, health care, pensions/aging, poverty/social assistance, and unemployment. Social policy practice refers to the administration of social policies and service delivery. Welfare provision is not limited to government—markets, employers, nongovernmental organizations, churches, and informal networks all play a role in welfare provision, although this varies across countries. The focus, however, particularly in social policy research, is often on government policies and the provision of services. In particular, social policy is often discussed in relation to the welfare state because social policies represent the public or collective management of social risks, an essential function of welfare states. In recent years, social policy research has become increasingly comparative, with a focus on cross-national analyses of systems, policies, and service provision. I would like to thank Hannelore van Hoffen, my research assistant, for all her efforts in helping to compile a list of social policy references to be considered for this article.

Taking social investment seriously in developed economies

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Hemerijck
Keyword(s):  
Economic Policy ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Welfare State ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
The Social

This chapter looks at the new integration of social with economic policy from the developing economies perspective. It will highlight the key social policy instruments in what were seen as ‘pre-welfare state’ economies, before surveying the ‘social policy spring’ occurring notably in Latin America and in Asia. The chapter will draw out the main learnings for social policy research from the new productivist models associated with Inclusive Growth.

scholarly journals Qualitative Longitudinal Research for Social Policy – Introduction to Themed Section

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Corden ◽  
Jane Millar
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Family Formation ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Process Of Change

Understanding the nature and process of change over time is an important part of social research. Large-scale longitudinal studies, such as the various birth cohorts and the British Household Panel Survey, have transformed the way in which we understand the relationships between individual lifecourse, family formation and dissolution, economic and social change, and social policy. Qualitative methods for longitudinal research are not yet as well established in social policy research as quantitative methods, but they are attracting increasing interest. The papers in this themed section were first presented at a Social Policy Association sponsored workshop held in London in November 2005. The main aim of the workshop was to explore the challenges of using such data for policy-related research, focusing in particular on data analysis and interpretation.

scholarly journals Operationalising social investment: from policy dimensions to ideal-types

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-125
Author(s):  
Lisa Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Time Distribution ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Policy Coherence ◽  
Ideal Types ◽  
Expenditure Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
European Social Policy ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Unemployed Youth

AbstractSocial investment in Europe has primarily been measured by studying expenditure data from specific categories of social policy. This article argues that we need a more nuanced way of studying the presence of social investment, and develops a tool for measuring the ideational content of social investment in policy regulations. By operationalising three key policy dimensions of social investment; time, distribution and policy coherence, varying approaches of social investment are discerned, landing in the development of three ideal types: a strict social investment, a targeted social investment and a reactive social investment. To demonstrate its application, the social investment ideal-types are applied to cases of policies for unemployed youth in different European countries. The operationalisation and ideal types presented in this article provide a structure and nuance to the understanding and measuring of social investment, aiding in the further debate on its pros, cons and presence in European social policy.

scholarly journals Health, the Outdoors and Safety

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4274
Author(s):  
David J. Ball ◽  
Laurence Ball-King
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives

While the public health benefits accruing from exposure to the outdoors, and especially the natural environment, have gained greater recognition, this has exposed rifts in thinking between those focusing on the pathology of injury and those pursuing a wider health agenda which recognizes the restorative potential of encounters with nature. In retrospect, the classification of injury as a public health issue in the mid-20th century triggered complex societal responses which generated unintended consequences affecting healthful activities. Responses generally aim to reduce or minimize the risk of injury and come in different forms, including formal and informal codes of practice, standards, management systems and regulation. Well-intentioned as these interventions may have been, the new emphasis on harm shifted attention away from what causes health and resulted in increasing control over activities, including those taking place outdoors. This article, which draws on long-term qualitative policy research, describes examples of these on-going tensions in the context of the public enjoyment of the outdoors. In conclusion, the situation presented is considered from a number of theoretical perspectives, and proposals are made for resolving the issues. These include improved communication between sectors and, on the technical side, the introduction of a compensatory decision process which enables policy makers to take account of both the health benefits and risks of exposure to the natural environment.

Tacit Knowledge Management at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha ◽  
Gladys Njeri Mungai ◽  
Henry Nyabuto Kemoni
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Intangible Asset ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Public Policy Research ◽  
Observation Methods ◽  
Tacit Knowledge Sharing

Tacit knowledge is seen as difficult to be shared in an organisation owing to its intuitive, versatile and practice-based nature. Consequently, tacit knowledge is not well-understood or valued in most organisations and more so in public institutions. The purpose of the study was to investigate how the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) manages tacit knowledge as an intangible asset and also to recommend a framework or model for the management of tacit knowledge for a competitive advantage and development at the KIPPRA. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, with interviews and observation methods constituting the primary data collection methods. The study targeted 60 employees of KIPPRA consisting of researchers, young professionals, heads of divisions, a knowledge manager and administrative staff. The qualitative data collected were organised, categorised and reported verbatim. Among the key findings were that KIPPRA has the capacity for tacit knowledge sharing, capture, transfer and storage that have not been capitalised on. Further, employees experience challenges such as the identification and understanding of tacit knowledge, access to tacit knowledge sharing platforms, access to expertise with specific tacit knowledge, tacit knowledge hoarding, individualism, and ICT-related challenges in accessing tacit knowledge. Finally, the study recommends the adoption of a proposed framework for managing tacit knowledge at the KIPPRA.

KAJIAN DAMPAK KEBIJAKAN PENUTUPAN LOKALISASI TELEJU OLEH PEMERINTAH KOTA PEKANBARU

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
M. Zainuddin
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Policy Content ◽  
The Government ◽  
Closure Policy ◽  
The Impact

This research to analyze the impact of closure policy Teleju brothel by Pekanbaru govermentin 2010. Guidelines for works are Pekanbaru Local Regulations No. 12 of 2008 on Social Order-liness. Closure this brothel inflicts positive and negative impact for society.The research wasconducted to obtain early stage formula for the government to take action against the prostitu-tion activities. This research uses policy research approach with a qualitative method, becausein prostitution activities and prohibition by goverment is an assessment that needs to be done byanalyzing documents and unstructured interview.The results showed that after the closing of the Teleju brothel have an impact on the deploy-ment of a prostitution and affect the economy of the surrounding residents. Government seeksto tackle prostitution in Pekanbaru by moving the brothel, conduct regular raids and providetraining. The effort is considered to be less than the maximum because the handling is not basedon the root of the problem and not programmed properly. There are several causes of failure ofgovernment to overcome the prostitution problem in Pekanbaru, including: policy content isless focus on the prostitution problem, the government did not proceeds with data, lack of finan-cial support, contra productive programs between local government with the police and TNI,and the policy object is difficult to be given understanding.

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