Social Policy by Other Means: Theorizing Unconventional Forms of Welfare Production

Abstract

The goal of this special issue is to highlight the importance of unconventional social policies, theorize their development in comparison with traditional welfare state accounts and outline a new research agenda. In this introduction to the special issue, the editors present the concept of social policy by other means as encompassing two kinds of unconventional social policy (from the point of view of mainstream comparative research): First, functional equivalents to formal systems of social protection and, second, non-state provision of benefits. The concept builds upon a sizeable, but fragmented literature in comparative welfare state research. While numerous examples demonstrate that social policy by other means is more pervasive in both OECD and non-OECD countries than often acknowledged, a brief survey of the top 20 articles in the field reveals that this fact is not sufficiently reflected in the academic literature. With reference to both existing studies and the contributions to this special issue, the editors go on to explore (1) the different forms of social policy by other means, (2) explanatory theories and (3) their effectiveness in terms of social outcomes. They close by outlining a research agenda.     

Development as recolonization: the political ecology of the Endosulphan disaster in Kasargod,India

This paper examines the Endosulphan pesticide disaster in Kasargod, Kerala, India. The paper argues that the pesticide disaster was the culmination of an agrarian modernization project implemented in the region by the state-owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK). An exploration of the political ecology of the disaster shows the recolonization of residents and nature by PCK through neocolonial forms of centralized and exclusionary spatial and resource control mechanisms. In this context, the paper questions the glorification of the “Kerala model” of development from the standpoints of environmental justice and resource rights, relying on the lived experiences of the people of Kasargod.     

More with Less? Fiscal Decentralisation,Public Health Spending and Health Sector Performance

Decentralisation is considered a panacea for deficient public sector performance by many. However, recent trends of health sector recentralisation in several OECD countries suggest the opposite. Taking on a cross‐country perspective, I examine two hypotheses, namely that decentralisation leads to an increase in public health spending (H1) and to poor health sector outcomes (H2). The evidence I present suggests that decentralising spending tends to lead to larger public health sectors and to poorer health sector outcomes. However, decentralising tax authority has no effect on the size of the health sector and may actually have a positive effect on health sector performance. The broader lesson is that while general fiscal decentralisation research tends to imply that its conclusions are valid for all policy areas in a similar way, sector‐specific insights can reveal a more nuanced view on the consequences of fiscal decentralisation.     

In Search of Master Negotiators: A Negotiation Competency Model

Over the last four decades, the field of negotiation has become a fully recognized academic discipline around the world and negotiation courses and competitions have become increasingly popular. Although it is believed that negotiators may be trained and that negotiation is a skill that can be taught and evaluated, the question of how to assess negotiation performance systematically and comprehensively remains largely unanswered. This article proposes a negotiation competency model for evaluating negotiation performance. The model includes a set of selected negotiation competencies together with proficiency levels and their behavioral indicators. Our goal is to help scholars design more effective negotiation courses and fairer negotiation competitions, improve negotiation pedagogy, and train negotiators who are well prepared to handle conflicts in our increasingly complex society.     

我国犯罪构成体系的模式选择

我国犯罪构成体系在体系结构上与司法实践存在着严重背离的现象。将独立的违法性判断引入犯罪构成体系,是扭转这一局面的根本途径。这就要求我们对现行的犯罪构成体系进行彻底重构。在模式的选择上,引入大陆法系三阶层的犯罪构成体系是向“法治国”迈进的必然选择。     

高职院校学报应走与科研"整合"之路

高职院校学报内容质量偏低、特色不明显和“两个效益”不高的问题亟待研究解决。其产生的原因主要是由高职院校的科研及科研工作处于劣势地位而造成的。如何摆脱这一困境,走与科研“整合”之路,将会使一大批“小”、“弱”学刊脱颖而出,从而在真正意义上促进我国学刊的整体繁荣。     

关于大学生思想政治状况调查与思考

为了全面、客观、准确地了解和分析当前大学生的思想政治状况,把握其思想动态,不断增强学生思想教育工作的适应性、有效性和针对性,做好新形势下大学生思想教育工作,唐山师范学院学工部对在校学生的思想政治状况进行了一次较为深入的调查了解。根据调查了解的情况,提出了新时期加强大学生思想政治教育的对策意见。     

高职院校院级课题对学院科研工作影响分析

高职院校设立院级课题为广大教职员工特别是青年教师提供了良好的科研平台.院级课题的设立营造了学院科研氛围,培养了科研团队,推动了学院教学水平的整体提高,进而促进了学院科研工作的全面开展.     

和谐社会构建时期人民内部矛盾研究综述

构建社会主义和谐社会时期,人民内部矛盾呈现出不同的表现形式和新的特征。正确认识人民内部矛盾出现的新变化,正确处理人民内部矛盾,是建设社会主义和谐社会的基本要求。我国理论界就“人民内部矛盾”这个专题从不同侧面、不同角度进行了深入地研究,取得了新的突破和进展。