Poverty and Social Protection
Reducing and eradicating poverty is a key challenge for our time. This research programme contributes to the analysis of poverty and vulnerability, and improves our knowledge of the policy frameworks needed to reduce and eradicate poverty. Poverty describes significant deficits along important dimensions of wellbeing. Social protection has emerged as an effective policy framework, in combination with policies that support growth and empowerment, to address poverty, and especially extreme poverty.
There are three research projects around which this programme is structured.
Insecurity, Risk and Vulnerability
BWPI's work in this area is being undertaken in conjunction with the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (link to external site).
Ageing, Wellbeing and Development
BWPI PhD student Julia Mase's October 2010 seminar on 'Ageing, Wellbeing and Development' at Rhodes University, South Africa is reported on the Rhodes University website. In April 2011 Julia Mase co-presented research findings on social assistance in Brazil and South Africa, at a seminar at Rhodes University. Read more on the Rhodes University website.
For further information on this project, see the dedicated website here.
Social Protection
Social protection has emerged as an effective policy framework addressing poverty and vulnerability. The Brooks World Poverty Institute is leading research into the conceptual frameworks underpinning social protection policies. It supports the development and transfer of knowledge on the effectiveness of social protection strategies, policies and programmes; and is engaged with a broad range of partners in supporting the extension of social protection to all, especially in low-income countries.
Social Transfers and Chronic Poverty
This research project contributes to knowledge on social transfers, by assessing their effectiveness in reducing long-term chronic poverty. In particular, the main objectives are to:
1) provide an assessment of whether, and to what extent, social transfers are an effective response to chronic poverty in developing countries;
2) identify and assess the modalities of social transfers that are most effective in addressing chronic poverty; and
3) provide tools for policy analysis and research in the area of social transfers.
Further information on this project.
People
Key people working on this theme include:
Key BWPI publications in this theme
Just Give Money to the Poor: The Development Revolution from the Global South. Joseph Hanlon, Armando Barrientos, and David Hulme (London: Kumarian Press, April 2010).
Social Assistance in Developing Countries Database (PDF, 1.3MB). Armando Barrientos, Miguel Niño-Zarazúa and Mathilde Maitrot (Manchester: BWPI, July 2010).
Social Protection for the Poor and Poorest (Palgrave Studies in Development). Barrientos, A., and D. Hulme. (London: Palgrave, 2008).
Insecurity and Welfare Regimes in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Gough, I., A. Barrientos, et al. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2004).
Selected BWPI Working Papers in this theme
Mexico’s Progresa-Oportunidades and the emergence of social assistance in Latin America (Miguel Niño-Zarazúa).
How much can asset transfers help the poorest? The five Cs of community-level development and BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Programme (Anirudh Krishna, Meri Poghosyan and Narayan Das).
Fertility impact of social transfers in Sub-Saharan Africa – What about pensions? (Göran Holmqvist).
Social protection in sub-Saharan Africa: Will the green shoots blossom? (Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, Armando Barrientos, David Hulme, Sam Hickey)
Trading on a grant: Integrating formal and informal social protection in post-apartheid migrant networks (Andries du Toit and David Neves).
Informal social protection in post-apartheid migrant networks: Vulnerability, social networks and reciprocal exchange in the Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa (Andries du Toit and David Neves).
Micro-insurance in the context of social protection (Thankom Arun and Susan Steiner).
Social transfers and growth: A review (Armando Barrientos and James Scott).
Social protection for the poor and poorest in developing countries: Reflections on a quiet revolution (Armando Barrientos and David Hulme).
Poverty dynamics: Measurement and understanding from an interdisciplinary perspective (Tony Addison, David Hulme and Ravi Kanbur).
Risks, rights, and needs: Compatible or contradictory bases for social protection? (Lauchlan T. Munro).
Introducing basic social protection in low-income countries: Lessons from existing programmes (Armando Barrientos).
Financing social protection (Armando Barrientos).
Conceptualising the politics of social protection in Africa (Sam Hickey).
A full list of BWPI publications can be found here.