Description
The concept of "risk" has long permeated the social policy literature, focusing traditionally on life cycle stages (childhood, youth, old age), economic contingencies (sickness, unemployment), and, more recently, new social risks (single parenthood, low skills/precarity, care). Despite extensive debates on classifying government responses, consensus on ‘best practices’ to alleviate these various risks remains elusive.Moreover, few comparative studies have explicitly examined the impact of social protection policies, encompassing social insurance, social assistance, and labour market programmes, on mitigating crises and disasters across global welfare regimes. Social protection is commonly recognised as an "automatic stabiliser" during financial crises, maintaining household incomes and consumption levels. However, much less systematic attention has been given to social protection responses to health pandemics, climate change, and environmental hazards.
Emerging discussions have ventured beyond traditional social rights discourses, introducing the concepts of adaptive, shock-responsive, and anticipatory social protection. These approaches emphasise agility, foresight, and pre-emptive government actions, aiming to address immediate and long-term vulnerabilities. Further, the interplay between formal social protection policies and the role of non-public benefit providers has gained traction, particularly through "social innovation" initiatives. These efforts, however, face criticism for neglecting structural issues and barriers to community participation.
This talk will explore the historical and comparative dimensions of “risk discourses” in mainstream social policy analysis, scrutinising the evolution of welfare state responses and their effectiveness in addressing traditional and emerging risks in an increasingly unstable world.
| Period | 9 Nov 2024 |
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| Event title | 2024 Asia Pacific Comparative Development and Policy Symposium |
| Event type | Symposium |
| Location | Hong Kong, ChinaShow on map |