Book Review

Social Protection and Social Development: International Initiatives

By
Julie.L. Drolet

Submitted to
Dr. Varsha Ayyar
Course: Social Protection and the State

Aditya Raj
M2021LSP003
Labour Studies and Practices (LSP)
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
“Social Protection and Social Development: International Initiatives” by Julie.L.
Drolet, New York, London: Springer, 2013, Total number of pages 168, ISBN-
978-94-007-7877-1,Price- IC Rs 4700/-

There has been an increment in emphasis regarding social protection schemes and
public safety at the current time. Many Governments are now backing social
protection frameworks: A complete and comprehensive social protection
framework is fundamental for a nation's development in all dimensions. Proof
from prior experiences acknowledges that extensive social security impacts
financial development with further developed redistribution of wealth in an
optimal manner. A more comprehensive social protection framework can prompt
more noteworthy social union, reduce vulnerability in social orders, and promote
rapid and inclusive growth with gain in health and wealth of the people. However,
there are still debates over the policies and their financing methodology.
The book "Social Protection and Social Development: International Initiatives''
tries to understand and examine the various ways of social protection in a
comparative manner. The emphasis is on low-income nations, where social
assurance is seen through monetary investment rather than humanitarian needs.
The book incorporates an outline of methodologies and some case studies. Rather
than a bulky reference, it outlines the pinpoint findings in social protection. The
book is separated into five parts.
The author mentioned in Section One says that the worldwide financial gap will
intensify destitution, hardship, and disparity among the people, this unequal
distribution of wealth among the people and between different countries will
ultimately endanger the progress toward the millennium development goals
(MDGs). Social protection is viewed as a fundamental approach for poverty
elimination and strengthening human rights as it is seen in many humanitarian
policies worldwide. Two principal reasons for supporting social protection's
multidimensional role are: distinguishing social protection as common liberty
(well elaborated in Section Two); and recognizing the fundamental objective of
social security in achieving a more extensive scope of improved objectives, like,
social development, social determinants of health, and social risk management,
amongst many others (briefly explained in Chapter Three). Chapter Four deals
with the various ways organizational programs face challenges, primarily focusing
on climate change and disasters, adaptation and mitigation, environmental change,
social safety nets and resource-efficient transformation, the fundamental principle
of ecological sustainability, and a risk-adjusted social protection floor. Part Five
presents contextual investigations of success of various social protection schemes
that help that particular country’s improvement drives it includes schemes of low
income countries where a wide safety net of protection is required to address the
key social issues.
The book follows the academic methodology with critical examination and putting
an emphasis on the experimental angles of social schemes. This is about the style
and procedure of the book.
"The idea of social protection arose out of a previous social security nets plan,
which was a prime element or a kind of objective of policy makers during the
1980s and 1990s (p.23)," but the author fails to address how social protection
evolved over time. Social protection arrangements have undergone profound
transformation, initially concerned with protecting individuals from various
contingencies in the workplace and evolved into a safety net, accommodating
assistance to vulnerable segments of the population. Social security courses of
action have gone through a critical change, starting to protect people from different
work environment risks and developing into a security net that helps weak
fragments of the populace. We are carrying out redistributive instruments
supported benefits frameworks intending to individual dangers all the more, on the
whole Organizations and economies, overall. The perseverance of
underdevelopment in a few nations constrained policymakers to reconsider the
idea of social security, suggesting a way toward widespread inclusion.
The creator shifted back and forth between zeroing in on the legitimate parts of
social insurance and the standards and approaches, specifically the quest for civil
rights, social value, social union, fortitude, and strength. Selected case studies on
social protection floor initiatives are discussed, providing evidence of their
feasibility, affordability and impact. The author outlines key features in
development and implementation of each of the social protection floor case study
initiatives, considering potential boundaries and dividing lines. Social protection
initiatives enabled countries to undergone system reforms (Universal Coverage
Scheme and Universal Pension Scheme, in Thailand); to bring about substantive
and structural changes (Universal Family Allowance in Argentina); to coordinate
mechanisms to maximize the impact of transfers (Child Support Grant in South
Africa), and to foster the development of employment policies (the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in India), tailored to the needs
of low-income countries as well as emerging economies. The case studies also
examine the social protection floor from an innovation perspective. The new
comprehensive approach empowers interaction between states and involved parties
for the design and implementation of efficient and effective social protection
policies. Most importantly, the social protection floor exhibits distinctive
characteristics with reference to universal contexts rather than specific contexts in
order to fulfill the very different needs of all societies.