Informal employment and informal housing in Latin America: facts, theory and ideas for a unified framework

AbstractUnemployment protection systems have certain characteristics in common in Argentina, Uruguay, Spain and Italy: they are compulsory and contributory-proportional, although in Uruguay, it also has a capitalisation supplement. Despite the similarities, they work differently because the context of informal employment chiefly, and unemployment, low salaries and precariousness differ greatly. Consequently, the unemployment protection coverage rate varies. Theories of the Active Welfare State, the Investor State and the reforms of unemployment protection systems have led to a certain modernising language being adopted in these countries: activation, employability, conditionality, lifelong learning, flexibility, which are, among others, words shared with Europe.However, the meanings of these words differ according to the institutional context of each country. In Latin America the welfare state is low institutionalised even almost non-existent, while in Europe it is a diverse institution. Despite this, the four countries share an upward trend in benefit policies, in accordance with the increase in poverty risk.

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Gender and Work in Contemporary Latin America

The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Latin America ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190926557.013.34 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erynn Masi de Casanova

Keyword(s):

Twentieth Century ◽

Latin America ◽

Women Workers ◽

Labor Force ◽

Gender Inequality ◽

Informal Employment ◽

Men And Women ◽

Gender And Work ◽

Positive Effects ◽

National Trends

What are the most important patterns and trends in gender and work in Latin America? How does gender matter for people’s experiences of work? Drawing on evidence from recent research, this chapter addresses these questions. Women’s share of employment has increased substantially since the middle of the twentieth century, yet women workers confront several sources of inequality that limit paid employment’s potentially positive effects. Gender inequality in the labor force is maintained through occupational segregation, in which men and women are funneled into different jobs; through women’s greater probability to work in informal employment; and through the unequal share of unpaid work in the home. Tracing macro-level (regional and national) trends while also attending to experiences of workers, the chapter provides an overview of the major issues in the study of gender and work in Latin America today.

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The Historical Origins of Poverty in Developing Countries

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199914050.013.13 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sambit Bhattacharyya

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Latin America ◽

Economic Performance ◽

Western Europe ◽

Slave Trade ◽

Colonial History ◽

Unified Framework ◽

Historical Factors ◽

Historical Origins

This article explores the historical origins of poverty and the root causes of poverty in developing countries. It first considers the theories that explain the root causes (geography, disease, colonial history, slave trade, culture, and technology) of poverty before describing a novel, unified framework that unites these theories. The central thesis is that Western Europe benefited from favorable geography that led to highly productive agriculture, food surpluses, and institutions conducive to development. In contrast, Africa continues to suffer from unfavorable geography and disease. Institutional weaknesses in Latin America and Russia explain their relatively weak long-term economic performance. The article argues that these historical factors matter for contemporary patterns of development across the globe.

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