Eight From black hole to spring: the coming of age of social policy in the Arab countries?
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Rana Jawad
Abstract
The chapter gives an overview of the mechanics and dynamics of the social policies and welfare regimes of the region of the Middle East with a particular focus on the Arab countries. It characterises these countries as having a mixture of corporatist and residual welfare policies which emphasise contribution-based social insurance and one-off social assistance. Although the oil producing economies in the region have a high degree of dependence on oil revenues to fund social and welfare services, other sources of funding stemming from religious welfare institutions and practices such as the zakat (obligatory tax on assets) and waqf (religious endowments) also play a major role in helping people in need. Support provided by next of kin or charitable non-governmental and para-state organisations also play a key role in welfare provision. Social policies in Arab countries do not convey a strong sense of citizenship or social rights and the Arab spring is unlikely to bring about dramatic changes to welfare provision in the near future thought it has undoubtedly raised the importance of issues of social justice further.
Abstract
The chapter gives an overview of the mechanics and dynamics of the social policies and welfare regimes of the region of the Middle East with a particular focus on the Arab countries. It characterises these countries as having a mixture of corporatist and residual welfare policies which emphasise contribution-based social insurance and one-off social assistance. Although the oil producing economies in the region have a high degree of dependence on oil revenues to fund social and welfare services, other sources of funding stemming from religious welfare institutions and practices such as the zakat (obligatory tax on assets) and waqf (religious endowments) also play a major role in helping people in need. Support provided by next of kin or charitable non-governmental and para-state organisations also play a key role in welfare provision. Social policies in Arab countries do not convey a strong sense of citizenship or social rights and the Arab spring is unlikely to bring about dramatic changes to welfare provision in the near future thought it has undoubtedly raised the importance of issues of social justice further.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures v
- Notes on contributors vii
- 40th anniversary preface xi
- Introduction 1
-
Current developments
- Universal Credit: overview and gender implications 15
- Family support and the Coalition: retrenchment, refocusing and restructuring 35
- Housing, the welfare state and the Coalition government 55
- The 2012/13 reforms of higher education in England: changing student finances and funding 77
- Division and opposition: the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 97
-
Social policy in the developed and developing worlds
- Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states 117
- Welfare retrenchment under Left and Right government leadership: towards a consolidated framework of analysis? 137
- From black hole to spring: the coming of age of social policy in the Arab countries? 165
- China’s developmental model in Africa: a new era for global social policy? 183
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Severe crisis: social policy in most challenging circumstances
- The Greek welfare state in the age of austerity: anti-social policy and the politico-economic crisis 205
- From opportunity to austerity: crisis and social policy in Spain 231
- From financial crisis to welfare retrenchment: assessing the challenges to the Irish welfare state 257
- The Great Recession and US social policy: from expansion to austerity 277
- Seeking refuge in the Nordic model: social policy in Iceland after 2008 297
- Index 319
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures v
- Notes on contributors vii
- 40th anniversary preface xi
- Introduction 1
-
Current developments
- Universal Credit: overview and gender implications 15
- Family support and the Coalition: retrenchment, refocusing and restructuring 35
- Housing, the welfare state and the Coalition government 55
- The 2012/13 reforms of higher education in England: changing student finances and funding 77
- Division and opposition: the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 97
-
Social policy in the developed and developing worlds
- Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states 117
- Welfare retrenchment under Left and Right government leadership: towards a consolidated framework of analysis? 137
- From black hole to spring: the coming of age of social policy in the Arab countries? 165
- China’s developmental model in Africa: a new era for global social policy? 183
-
Severe crisis: social policy in most challenging circumstances
- The Greek welfare state in the age of austerity: anti-social policy and the politico-economic crisis 205
- From opportunity to austerity: crisis and social policy in Spain 231
- From financial crisis to welfare retrenchment: assessing the challenges to the Irish welfare state 257
- The Great Recession and US social policy: from expansion to austerity 277
- Seeking refuge in the Nordic model: social policy in Iceland after 2008 297
- Index 319
