Book Description

This book explores the scope of reforms and changes in the social protection systems in Latin America that have started at the beginning of the 21st century. It describes how and to what extent changes in social protection systems and social policies have occurred in the region in recent decades. Taking a comparative approach, the volume identifies the triggers for the transformations and how such pressures are received by the welfare regime, or a specific policy sector, to finally yield a given type of reform. The analysis is characterized by the presence of certain factors that explain the development of social protection systems in Latin America, such as economic growth, the consolidation of democratic political regimes, and the region's Left Turns. The book also examines to what extent common challenges and processes induced by international institutions have led to convergence among countries or welfare regimes, or whether each maintains its own identity. Natália Sátyro is Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. She previously was Visiting Researcher and Fellow at the Latin American Centre, University of Oxford, UK (2016-2017). Eloisa del Pino is Senior Researcher in the Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP) at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). She is conducting the GoWPER Project 2018-2020 Restructuring the Welfare Governance CSO2017-85598-R PN I+D. Carmen Midaglia is Professor of Political Science at the Universidad de la República, Uruguay. She is Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Co-Coordinator of the Working Group on Poverty and Social Policies of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences.