IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i4p1629-d1339718.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Conditions of Sustainable Welfare: A Cross-Case Empirical Analysis of 22 Locality-Based Welfare Systems in Decentralised Indonesia

Author

Listed:
  • Virna Emily Tobing-David

    (Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia)

  • Isbandi Rukminto Adi

    (Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia)

  • Mu’man Nuryana

    (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, Jakarta 10340, Indonesia)

Abstract

The existing body of knowledge underpinning welfare state theory suggests that most welfare systems depend on growth. It signifies that the state–market mechanism is a prerequisite for achieving welfare. However, the current ecological crisis highlights the detrimental effects of unchecked economic growth, which often exploits human and natural resources. This phenomenon calls for a countermovement that protects society and natural resources through social and public policies. Within the domain of sustainable welfare, an argument points towards the need to gain an empirical understanding of sustainable welfare policies and gather qualitative evidence that explains the conditions and mechanisms of “better” eco-social performance. This article aims to identify conditions leading to achieving sustainable welfare outcomes and discern under which conditions sustainable welfare outcomes are attainable or fail, especially in the context of the Global South. It draws on empirical data to analyse the locality-based welfare systems of 22 villages across decentralised Indonesia using a conditions-oriented approach of the crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The findings shed light on the institutional setting and policy mix leading to sustainable welfare outcomes in less-industrialised, informal economy-based, and highly decentralised country contexts. The evidence points to the presence of sustainable welfare outcomes when a substantial level of subsidiarity, self-governance, and meaningful community participation, and a policy mix covering basic needs, services for vulnerable groups, a functioning local economy, and innovative ecological practices are in place. While past research predominantly leans towards a statist-focused approach to sustainable welfare, this study proposes a society-focused perspective. It argues that transforming both modes of production and relational dynamics among society, state, and market in the Global South context is necessary, where an empowered society serves as a prerequisite for sustainable welfare outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Virna Emily Tobing-David & Isbandi Rukminto Adi & Mu’man Nuryana, 2024. "Conditions of Sustainable Welfare: A Cross-Case Empirical Analysis of 22 Locality-Based Welfare Systems in Decentralised Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-27, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1629-:d:1339718
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1629/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1629/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xhulia Likaj & Michael Jacobs & Thomas Fricke, 2022. "Growth, Degrowth or Post-growth? Towards a synthetic understanding of the growth debate," Basic Papers 2, Forum New Economy.
    2. Eva Thomann & Martino Maggetti, 2020. "Designing Research With Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Approaches, Challenges, and Tools," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 49(2), pages 356-386, May.
    3. Tuuli Hirvilammi, 2020. "The Virtuous Circle of Sustainable Welfare as a Transformative Policy Idea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, January.
    4. Corlet Walker, Christine & Druckman, Angela & Jackson, Tim, 2021. "Welfare systems without economic growth: A review of the challenges and next steps for the field," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    5. Jackson, Tim, 2019. "The Post-growth Challenge: Secular Stagnation, Inequality and the Limits to Growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 236-246.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. François, Martin & Mertens de Wilmars, Sybille & Maréchal, Kevin, 2023. "Unlocking the potential of income and wealth caps in post-growth transformation: A framework for improving policy design," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    2. Koskimäki, Teemu, 2023. "Targeting socioeconomic transformations to achieve global sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    3. García-García, Pablo & Buendía, Luis & Carpintero, Óscar, 2022. "Welfare regimes as enablers of just energy transitions: Revisiting and testing the hypothesis of synergy for Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    4. Kristian Kongshøj, 2023. "Social policy in a future of degrowth? Challenges for decommodification, commoning and public support," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Vogel, Jefim & Guerin, Gauthier & O'Neill, Daniel W. & Steinberger, Julia K., 2024. "Safeguarding livelihoods against reductions in economic output," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    6. Martin Hensher, 2023. "Climate change, health and sustainable healthcare: The role of health economics," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 985-992, May.
    7. zu Ermgassen, Sophus & Drewniok, Michal & Bull, Joseph & Walker, Christine Corlet & Mancini, Mattia & Ryan-Collins, Josh & Serrenho, André Cabrera, 2022. "A home for all within planetary boundaries: pathways for meeting England’s housing needs without transgressing national climate and biodiversity goals," OSF Preprints 5kxce, Center for Open Science.
    8. Dariusz Cezary Kotlewski, 2023. "The soundness of returning to manufacturing through the lens of productivity accounting," Ekonomista, Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne, issue 3, pages 253-274.
    9. Federica Rotondo & Francesca Abastante & Giancarlo Cotella & Isabella Maria Lami, 2020. "Questioning Low-Carbon Transition Governance: A Comparative Analysis of European Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Xincheng Zhu & Yulin Liu & Xin Fang, 2022. "Revisiting the Sustainable Economic Welfare Growth in China: Provincial Assessment Based on the ISEW," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 279-306, July.
    11. Waldkirch, Matthias & Kammerlander, Nadine & Wiedeler, Conrad, 2021. "Configurations for corporate venture innovation: Investigating the role of the dominant coalition," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    12. Filippopoulos, Nikolaos & Fotopoulos, Georgios, 2022. "Innovation in economically developed and lagging European regions: A configurational analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(2).
    13. Tim Jackson & Peter A Victor, 2021. "Confronting inequality in the “new normal”: Hyper‐capitalism, proto‐socialism, and post‐pandemic recovery," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 504-516, May.
    14. No authors listed, 2021. "Sozial gerechte Wege aus der Klimakrise," Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft - WuG, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik, vol. 47(2), pages 155-169.
    15. Vanessa Roger‐Monzó & Fernando Castelló‐Sirvent, 2023. "Soft power in global governance: fsQCA of thematic specialization strategies of European think tanks," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(2), pages 288-304, May.
    16. Ludmila Aleksandrovna Kormishkina & Evgenii Danilovich Kormishkin & Oksana Sergeevna Sausheva & Dmitrii Aleksandrovich Koloskov, 2021. "Economic Incentives for Environmental Investment in Modern Russia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-12, October.
    17. Sarah-Louise Ruder & Sophia Rose Sanniti, 2019. "Transcending the Learned Ignorance of Predatory Ontologies: A Research Agenda for an Ecofeminist-Informed Ecological Economics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-29, March.
    18. Koch, Max, 2022. "State-civil society relations in Gramsci, Poulantzas and Bourdieu: Strategic implications for the degrowth movement," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    19. Corlet Walker, Christine & Druckman, Angela & Jackson, Tim, 2021. "Welfare systems without economic growth: A review of the challenges and next steps for the field," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    20. Michael Baumgartner, 2022. "Qualitative Comparative Analysis and robust sufficiency," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1939-1963, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1629-:d:1339718. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.