Social development and social protection: New opportunities and challenges

Author(s):  
James Midgley
GIS Business ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
Sunita Kumari ◽  
Bino Paul G.D.

We explore emerging contexts of social entrepreneurship in India. Social entrepreneurship is emerging as an important option in poverty reduction and social change wherein organizing societal responses to scenarios like entrenched deprivation, cumulative disadvantages, long extant institutional lock-in, and vulnerabilities enmeshed in social stratification, hiatus emanating from segmentation of labour market and inadequate coverage of social protection form the core of strategies/collectives/organisation. In this paper, first, drawing cues from the literature, we outline basic typology of social entrepreneurship while delineating pivotal role technology and collaboration play in social entrepreneurship. Second, we provide a glimpse of not profit organisations in India, based on the secondary data. We juxtapose select patterns from the data on non profit organisations with human development. Third, we discuss select cases of social entrepreneurship that diverge in characteristics and contexts, in particular how these initiatives work towards poverty reduction and social development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (49) ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
Mario Arturo Ruiz Estrada ◽  
Evangelos Koutronas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of pensionomics as a prospective tool for pension evaluation. This paper suggests a paradigm shift – a multi-disciplinary synthesis of differing perspectives in evaluating pension’s overall performance based on past work on pension evaluation – incorporating non-economic variables with significant impact on economic growth and social development. Design/methodology/approach This paper suggests a new analytical tool called “Pensions Consistency (PC) Index” that identifies the level of consistency and the strengths and weaknesses within any pension system. The new conceptual framework focusses on building inter-sectoral and holistic policies able to respond to the new multi-dimensional dynamic environment. Findings The consideration of pensionomics concept as an evaluation tool for pension schemes provides insights that are helpful in explaining performance differentials. Taking definition, classification and evaluation as a guiding principle, the new conceptual framework can be a useful point of reference for the overall evaluation of pension schemes, revealing deficiencies that traditional evaluation methods cannot detect. The multi-disciplinary approach focusses on building inter-sectoral and holistic policies that are able to respond to the multi-dimensional uncertainties of the new dynamic environment. Research limitations/implications The heterogeneity and complexity in event dynamics are systemic in the sense that the impact is far from linear. The idiosyncratic nature of unexpected and unpredictable events is rather a result of multi-dimensionality based, among others, on magnitude, frequency, timing, intensity and impact. It is plausible to argue that crisis episodes can destabilize critical systems of economic activity, producing economic spillovers that can directly or indirectly affect the sustainability of pension schemes. If the calculation of direct economic impact is readily traceable, the estimation of indirect economic impact can be an onerous task. Practical implications Pensionomics places the concept of retirement in a multi-disciplinary context. Pensionomics overcomes theoretical and empirical limitations encountered by the path-dependency perspective, developing a new research agenda to study pension schemes under historical, cultural, social, political, economic, political and environmental prism. Integrating diversified data, techniques, perspectives and concepts, pensionomics’ objective is to connect natural and man-made events with social protection mechanisms for the development of a dynamic social protection framework where individual, community and society needs are met effectively and efficiently by implementing tailored policies, closely related to their specific context. Social implications The concept of retirement has evolved constantly, transforming societies and shaping both income and non-income dimensions of well-being. Pension entitlement turned gradually from a political discourse to a human right discourse. Pension schemes have extended the scope of insurance coverage beyond labour markets and the lifecycle, supporting the broader needs of entire population. Furthermore, pension schemes are widely acknowledged as drivers of economic growth: they enhance labour productivity; foster smooth consumption; and create a stable economic environment for investment and innovation. Current expectations require pension schemes to adopt proactive and reactive policies to examine options for mitigation or for modification of potential consequences in anticipation of exceptional events. Originality/value This paper suggests a paradigm shift, a multi-disciplinary approach called pensionomics, and this “multi-disciplinary” focus builds a new analytical framework to evaluate pension’s overall performance based on past work on pension evaluation, incorporating non-economic variables with significant impact on economic growth and social development. PC-Index introduces a comprehensive evaluation tool to study the coverage, performance, efficiency, effectiveness, current trends and future possibilities of pension schemes.


Author(s):  
Liliia Klos ◽  
Nataliia Nazar

Introduction: At the final stage of administrative-territorial reform in Ukraine, it is important to realistically assess the social needs and social problems that exist in newly created territorial communities. Territorial communities should be based on healthy families and healthy individuals, whose initiative will help ensure the continued social development of the community. In its turn, the community should be built on the principles of friendly to its own citizens, meeting their needs, first of all, the needs of the least protected categories - children, people with disabilities and chronic diseases, elderly people. Therefore, integrated social services based on the principles of preserving and promoting health are a tool for solving social problems in the community (Klos, Khudoba, Shkoliar, 2019, p. 26). Purpose. The purpose of the study is to show the importance of using integrated social services in the community based on the principles of preservation and promotion of health as an important means of promoting territorial community development and social development of the country.Methods. The study used theoretical methods of research, in particular, the search and collection of statistical information on the formation, normalization and approval of the composition of territorial communities; collection and analysis of sources on the problem of social services and social protection of the population of territorial communities; systematization of sources and their analysis by blocks of tasks; analysis, comparison, synthesis and implementation of the results of the study of social services based on the principles of promoting and preserving community health.Results. Within the framework of the U-LEAD Program with Europe and the ICO Partnership Every Child, the project “Community for Human: Enhancing Communities' Competence for the Development of Social Services” and understanding the peculiarities of organizing social support for vulnerable segments of the UTC population through the implementation of the social services model. Among the objectives of the project were, inter alia, to study the status of providing local communities with social workers, the range of social services provided in the community, taking into account the real needs of the population in social assistance (ICO Partnership for Every Child, 2019, p. 5-6).The study covered 245 projected territorial communities in Ukraine. Because most communities did not have the information to make appropriate decisions about the services they needed, a special methodology was used to assess the needs of the population in social services. An appropriate tool for monitoring the needs of the population in social services was developed and tested at the Oxford Policy Management Consortium with the participation of the Every Child Partnership, in collaboration with UNICEF, and with financial support from the European Union. The aggregate index of providing the population with social services of the population of the UTC is determined by the set of indicators: the index of provision of social services for children and families with children; index of provision of social care services for orphans and children deprived of family care; the index of provision of social services for the elderly; index of provision of social services for persons with disabilities; index of provision of social services to persons in need of adaptation and integration (reintegration); index of provision of social services to persons in need of emergency or crisis intervention (ICO Partnership for Every Child, 2019, p. 28).Mostly communities use the resource of available social services already at their disposal, their range is limited and needs improvement and review, taking into account real social problems and needs of consumers. An important tool for addressing the issues that are relevant to UTC members is those based on the principles of preserving and promoting health. In particular, social prevention, community representation services, crisis and emergency intervention, social support / patronage, asylum, home care, day care, supported living.Conclusion: The study of the results of the mentioned project and the current state of providing territorial communities with social services lead to the conclusion that there is a high level of community needs for social work professionals who are able and able to provide integrated social services in the community on the grounds of preservation and promotion of health. To do this, professional training of skilled social workers for the provision of integrated social services in the community should be stepped up


2021 ◽  
pp. 868-888
Author(s):  
Leila Patel

Abstract: South Africa has made significant strides in growing its social security and social development system to reduce poverty and inequality since the advent of democracy in 1994. The country’s rights-based and redistributive social protection system builds on earlier social policies and was substantively refashioned to address the country’s colonial and apartheid legacy. This chapter documents the South African case with reference to the following themes: first, it sets out the social and economic challenges facing the country in relation to poverty and inequality. Second, it demonstrates the conceptual and policy significance of the South African case in relation to the rise of social protection policies to promote inclusive development in countries in the Global South. The South African welfare regime is the third theme. It focuses on the evolution of social security and social development, discusses the features of the approach, the nature and scope of social protection policies and their impacts. Finally, the chapter concludes by considering the policy issues and future trajectory of social protection in South Africa.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002087282110227
Author(s):  
Bernard Mayaka ◽  
Rory Truell

Ubuntu is the current theme for the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development and represents the highest level of global messaging within the social work profession for the years 2020–2030. This article presents an in-depth description of Ubuntu as a philosophy of social development that can strengthen social work theory and practice in its global aims of supporting community systems of social protection and social justice. The article concludes with advancing proposals on how the learnings from Ubuntu can strengthen international social work ethics, principles and practice.


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