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Transforming Social Protection: Human Wellbeing and Social Justice

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen Devereux

    (Centre for Social Protection, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, Brighton, UK)

  • J Allister McGregor

    (Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, Brighton, UK)

Abstract

This article calls for a moment of pause to consider the current direction of social protection thinking and practice. It introduces a special issue in which a range of authors explore the relationship between social protection and social justice. The article argues that the currently technocratic approach to social protection will neither be sustainable as a form of development intervention, nor produce sustainable reductions in poverty. The analysis takes us to the ontological heart of the technocratic approach and highlights the inadequacy of approaches based on methodological individualism for achieving sustainable and more socially just development outcomes. Using a human wellbeing framework and combining this with the idea of transformative social protection, the article proposes that there are different ways of conceiving, designing and implementing social protection so that they are better able to contribute to the promotion of social justice in specific developing country contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Devereux & J Allister McGregor, 2014. "Transforming Social Protection: Human Wellbeing and Social Justice," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 26(3), pages 296-310, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:26:y:2014:i:3:p:296-310
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kate Pruce, 2023. "The Politics of Who Gets What and Why: Learning from the Targeting of Social Cash Transfers in Zambia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(4), pages 820-839, August.
    2. Michelle L. James & Rachel Forrester-Jones, 2022. "Human-Centred Design in UK Asylum Social Protection," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Hare Krisna Kundo & Martin Brueckner & Rochelle Spencer & John Davis, 2021. "Mainstreaming climate adaptation into social protection: The issues yet to be addressed," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(6), pages 953-974, August.
    4. Jawad, Rana, 2019. "A new era for social protection analysis in LMICs? A critical social policy perspective from the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Louise Mubanda Rasmussen, 2017. "In the Name of Sustainability: Contradictory Effects of NGO-Driven Development in Malawi," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(2), pages 312-327, April.
    6. Pouw, Nicky R.M. & Rohregger, Barbara & Schüring, Esther & Alatinga, Kennedy A. & Kinuthia, Bethuel & Bender, Katja, 2020. "Social protection in Ghana and Kenya through an inclusive development Lens. Complex effects and risks," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    7. Hajdu, Flora & Granlund, Stefan & Neves, David & Hochfeld, Tessa & Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin & Sandström, Emil, 2020. "Cash transfers for sustainable rural livelihoods? Examining the long-term productive effects of the Child Support Grant in South Africa," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    8. Nitya Rao & Nivedita Narain & Shuvajit Chakraborty & Arundhita Bhanjdeo & Ayesha Pattnaik, 2020. "Destinations Matter: Social Policy and Migrant Workers in the Times of Covid," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(5), pages 1639-1661, December.
    9. Nicky Pouw & Katja Bender, 2022. "The Poverty Reduction Effect of Social Protection: The Pros and Cons of a Multidisciplinary Approach," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(5), pages 2204-2223, October.
    10. Alude Mahali & Ingrid Lynch & Angelina Wilson Fadiji & Tsidiso Tolla & Sinakekelwe Khumalo & Sara Naicker, 2018. "Networks of Well-being in the Global South: A Critical Review of Current Scholarship," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 34(4), pages 373-400, December.
    11. Hayley Jones, 2022. "Brazil's Bolsa Família Programme: Aspirations and Realities of Poverty Reduction and Intergenerational Change," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(3), pages 600-622, May.
    12. Sinha, Shreya & Narain, Nivedita & Bhanjdeo, Arundhita, 2022. "Building back better? Resilience as wellbeing for rural migrant households in Bihar, India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    13. Sheliza Ladhani & Kathleen C. Sitter, 2020. "Conditional cash transfers: A critical review," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 38(1), pages 28-41, January.

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