IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/eurjdr/v36y2024i1d10.1057_s41287-023-00598-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Power Relations in Malawi’s Social Cash Transfer Programme: The Flip Side of Domination

Author

Listed:
  • Roeland Hemsteede

    (University of Dundee
    IOD PARC)

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals call for nationally appropriate social protection systems. However, development partners and governments might disagree over what is appropriate, who to protect, how to do this, and who should pay for it. This paper explores how power relations between national and international stakeholders shaped Malawi’s Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) by tracing its design and implementation. It draws on novel empirical data from 47 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. Data are analysed drawing on literature around power relations, political settlements, and decision making. It finds that development partners’ power to shape the SCTP generates resistance among Malawian politicians and enables them to pursue its own priorities. The paper shows how power relations work in practice and argues that power relations are complex, entangled, and that decisions which appear rational can result in outcomes that are detrimental to developing nationally owned, sustainable, social protection systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Roeland Hemsteede, 2024. "Power Relations in Malawi’s Social Cash Transfer Programme: The Flip Side of Domination," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 36(1), pages 194-215, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:36:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41287-023-00598-6
    DOI: 10.1057/s41287-023-00598-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41287-023-00598-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41287-023-00598-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blessings Chinsinga, 2017. "The Green Belt Initiative, Politics and Sugar Production in Malawi," Journal of Southern African Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 501-515, May.
    2. Sanjeev K. Sobhee & Shyam Nath, 2010. "Is donors’ concern about the fungibility of foreign aid justified?:a panel data analysis," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 43(2), pages 299-311, January-M.
    3. Seim, Brigitte & Jablonski, Ryan & Ahlbäck, Johan, 2020. "How information about foreign aid affects public spending decisions: Evidence from a field experiment in Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Marianne Ulriksen, 2013. "The politics of social protection expenditure and financing in southern Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 39-53, March.
    5. Stephen Devereux & Philip White, 2010. "Social Protection in Africa: Evidence, Politics and Rights," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(3), pages 53-77, August.
    6. Göran Holmqvist, 2012. "External Financing of Social Protection: Opportunities and Risks," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 30(1), pages 5-27, January.
    7. Davis, Benjamin & Handa, Sudhanshu & Hypher, Nicola & Winder Rossi, Natalia & Winters, Paul & Yablon (ed.), 2016. "From Evidence to Action: The Story of Cash Transfers and Impact Evaluation in Sub Saharan Africa," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198769446.
    8. Blessings Chinsinga, 2011. "Seeds and Subsidies: The Political Economy of Input Programmes in Malawi," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(4), pages 59-68, July.
    9. Barnett, Michael N. & Finnemore, Martha, 1999. "The Politics, Power, and Pathologies of International Organizations," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(4), pages 699-732, October.
    10. Katia Covarrubias & Benjamin Davis & Paul Winters, 2012. "From protection to production: productive impacts of the Malawi Social Cash Transfer scheme," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 50-77, March.
    11. Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel & Barrientos, Armando & Hickey, Samuel & Hulme, David, 2012. "Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa: Getting the Politics Right," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 163-176.
    12. Frank Ellis & Dyton Maliro, 2013. "Fertiliser Subsidies and Social Cash Transfers as Complementary or Competing Instruments for Reducing Vulnerability to Hunger: The Case of Malawi," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 31(5), pages 575-596, September.
    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. Francesco Burchi & Margherita Scarlato & Giorgio d'Agostino, 2018. "Addressing Food Insecurity in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Role of Cash Transfers," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(4), pages 564-589, December.
    2. Malerba, Daniele, 2020. "Poverty alleviation and local environmental degradation: An empirical analysis in Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Sudhanshu Handa & Silvio Daidone & Amber Peterman & Benjamin Davis & Audrey Pereira & Tia Palermo & Jennifer Yablonski, 2018. "Myth-Busting? Confronting Six Common Perceptions about Unconditional Cash Transfers as a Poverty Reduction Strategy in Africa," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 33(2), pages 259-298.
    4. Jean-Philippe Berrou & Alain Piveteau & Thibaud Deguilhem & Leo Delpy & Claire Gondard-Delcroix, 2021. "Who Drives if No-one Governs? A Social Network Analysis of Social Protection Policy in Madagascar," Working Papers hal-03180029, HAL.
    5. Scarlato, Margherita & D'Agostino, Giorgio, 2016. "The political economy of cash transfers: a comparative analysis of Latin American and sub-Saharan African experiences," IDOS Discussion Papers 6/2016, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    6. Fisher, Eleanor & Attah, Ramlatu & Barca, Valentina & O'Brien, Clare & Brook, Simon & Holland, Jeremy & Kardan, Andrew & Pavanello, Sara & Pozarny, Pamela, 2017. "The Livelihood Impacts of Cash Transfers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Beneficiary Perspectives from Six Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 299-319.
    7. Dagim Dawit Gonsamo & Herman Hay Ming Lo & Ko Ling Chan, 2021. "The Role of Stomach Infrastructures on Children’s Work and Child Labour in Africa: Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-26, August.
    8. Gilliland, Ted E. & Sanchirico, James N. & Taylor, J. Edward, 2018. "Environmental Impacts of Cash Transfer Programs: Implications for the Welfare of Poor Communities in Developing Countries," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274244, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Rachel Sabates-Wheeler & Nikhil Wilmink & Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai & Richard de Groot & Tayllor Spadafora, 2020. "Linking Social Rights to Active Citizenship for the Most Vulnerable: the Role of Rights and Accountability in the ‘Making’ and ‘Shaping’ of Social Protection," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(1), pages 129-151, January.
    10. Barrientos Armando & Villa Juan Miguel, 2015. "Evaluating Antipoverty Transfer Programmes in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Better Policies? Better Politics?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 147-179, June.
    11. Miguel Niño‐Zarazúa, 2019. "Welfare and Redistributive Effects of Social Assistance in the Global South," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 45(S1), pages 3-22, December.
    12. Hangala Siachiwena, 2023. "International donors, domestic politics, and the expansion of social cash transfers in Malawi," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(1), January.
    13. Barrientos Armando & Villa Juan Miguel, 2015. "Evaluating Antipoverty Transfer Programmes in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Better Policies? Better Politics?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 147-179, June.
    14. Handa, Sudhanshu & Natali, Luisa & Seidenfeld, David & Tembo, Gelson & Davis, Benjamin, 2018. "Can unconditional cash transfers raise long-term living standards? Evidence from Zambia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 42-65.
    15. Jean-Philippe Berrou & Alain Piveteau & Thibaud Deguilhem & Delpy Léo & Claire Gondard-Delcroix, 2020. "Qui pilote si personne ne gouverne ? La politique publique de protection sociale à Madagascar au prisme de l’analyse des réseaux sociaux," Working Papers hal-02918286, HAL.
    16. Yannick Markhof & Isabela Franciscon & Nicolò Bird & Pedro Arruda, 2021. "Social assistance programmes in South Asia: an evaluation of socio-economic impacts," Research Report 62, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    17. 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.
    18. Adela Toscano-Valle & Antonio Sianes & Francisco Santos-Carrillo & Luis A. Fernández-Portillo, 2022. "Can the Rational Design of International Institutions Solve Cooperation Problems? Insights from a Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-22, June.
    19. Remmy Kampamba & Luca Pellerano & Charles Banda & Obbie Musama, 2019. "Financing the Zambia social cash transfer scale-up: A tax benefit microsimulation analysis based on MicroZAMOD," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-19, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Jacobus de Hoop & Furio C. Rosati, 2014. "Cash Transfers and Child Labor," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 202-234.

    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:pal:eurjdr:v:36:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41287-023-00598-6. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.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.