The Politics of Welfare in the Global South

This book serves as a comprehensive reference for conducting political analyses of emerging welfare systems in the Global South. These countries have adopted a development-oriented approach, distinct from the social policy trajectory observed in industrialized capitalist states. However, the pervasive influence of globalization since the 1990s has significantly reshaped policy priorities in these regions. Notably, political discourse surrounding social policy concepts developed in the Northern capitalist states has gained prominence.

Irrespective of the geographical focus of the chapters, the book delves into fundamental social policy concepts and debates. These include the ongoing discourse between ＂universalism＂ and ＂selectivity,＂ the challenges posed by the welfare residuum, the intricate role of institutional norms and apparatuses in achieving justice or engendering feelings of shame among social assistance recipients, and the examination of ＂absolute＂ and ＂relative＂ poverty. Additionally, the book investigates the pendulum shift within social welfare policies, the complex politics surrounding the portrayal of welfare recipients, and the newly established link between poverty and shame.

Comprising 12 chapters, the book employs a case study-based approach to test the applicability and universality of social policy theories and concepts. The central focus lies in assessing the adaptability of concepts and theories developed in the Global North to comprehend the intricacies of welfare politics in the Global South. These case studies contribute to theoretical generalizations capable of explaining universal principles that are relevant to both the Global South and North.

Sattwick Dey Biswas is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Policy, Bangalore, India. In 2019, he earned his doctorate at the School of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, Germany. He published his doctoral thesis as a book titled Land Acquisition and Compensation in India: Mysteries of Valuation (2020). Dey Biswas is the coordinator of the History of Economic Thought Working Group at the Institute for New Economic Thinking’s Young Scholars Initiative. Currently, he is working in Land Policy, Social Policy, and Political Economy.

Cleopas Gabriel Sambo is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Social Policy at Oslo Metropolitan University and a Lecturer in Social Work and Sociology at the University of Zambia. He is a prominent researcher in Social Policy, and his areas of interest include poverty, politics, transformative social protection, wellbeing, and the ethics of everyday life. Through his extensive research, Cleopas aims to uncover the intricate political and ethical aspects that influence daily life, while also providing valuable insights for evidence-based policy development to address critical societal challenges.

Sony Pellissery is Professor and Director of the Institute of Public Policy, National Law School of India University, Bangalore. His special interests are in the areas of distributive justice and social rights. After earning his doctoral degree from Oxford University, he served as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (2007-2013). Pellissery has won the India Social Science Research Award (2009) and Ram Reddy Memorial Social Science Award (2015) for his academic contributions.