Week 11 - Social, Welfare and Family Policy Flashcards
International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights – ICESCR (1966)? List the rights advocated in it?
Rights to social security, paid parental leave, adequate standard of living, paid holidays, equal pay for equal work, rights to healthcare.
Free universal primary education, generally available secondary education and equally accessible higher
education.
Describe the chronology of International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights – ICESCR?
Adopted in 1966; came into force in 1976
Kazakhstan signed in 2003; ratified in 2006
Describe art. 9 of ICESCR?
“The States Parties to the present Covenant
recognize the right of everyone to social security,
including social insurance.”
Describe art. 11 of ICESCR?
“The States Parties to the present Covenant
recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.”
Welfare system. List ILO Conventions?
Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention (1952)
Convention on Domestic Workers (2011)
International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of
Their Families (1990)
Maternity Protection Convention (2000) (14 weeks minimum of maternity leave)
What are some dilemmas in International Law and Human Rights?
Law versus Morality (subjective judgment)
‘Universalism’ vs. ‘Cultural Relativism’
Different views on human rights in societies
with different social/cultural/political contexts
Describe in simple terms the following terms:
- “Universalism”
- Cultural Relativism”
- Western cultural imperialism”
- “Universalism” = human rights same everywhere
- “Cultural Relativism” = some rights depend on
cultural context
3.(Western) cultural imperialism = practice of promoting and imposing a culture, usually that of a politically powerful nation, over a less powerful society; in other words, the cultural hegemony of industrialized or politically and economically influential countries which determine general cultural values and standardize civilizations throughout the world.
What is Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living
adequate for the health and well-being of himself
and of his family, including food, clothing, housing
and medical care and necessary social services, and
the right to security in the event of unemployment,
sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other
lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his
control.”
What are the components of the Welfare systems?
Social insurance Public Services Unemployment Minimum wage Maternity leave Paid vacations
Welfare states: models.
Describe characteristics of Esping-Andersen model?
- Liberal (targets low-income people, limited benefits)
- Conservative regimes (focus on family-based assistance dynamics)
- Socio-democratic (promote equality of high standards, not just minimal needs)
Welfare states: models.
Describe characteristics of British model (Beveridge): (UK, New Zealand, Australia)?
- Pro-market model
- Social assistance as ‘last chance’
- Less costly
- Focus on working population, less on retired people
Welfare states: models.
Describe characteristics of Continental European model: (France, Germany)?
- Job protectionism
- Increases labor cost (expensive to hire/hard to fire)
Welfare states: models.
Describe characteristics of Nordic model: (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark)?
- Egalitarianism/social cohesion as basic principle
- Equal access to services
- Solidarity and inclusion
- Might be hard to emulate in less wealthy countries
Welfare states: models.
Describe characteristics of US model?
- Historically small and limited
- Significantly expanded in 20th century
- Social Security
- Food stamps (Nutrition Assistance Program)
($1,245/month or lower per person) - Medicare (elderly)/MedicAid (low income)
- Tax returns
- Also: small annual leave/paternal leave
Describe the characteristics of Gender politics and general situation post-1991 in post-Soviet countries?
Quota systems for women in public sector;
KG and UZ: 30%;
TJ: Govt agencies must have 1 female deputy head;
KZ and TM: no quotas, but prominent appointments;
“Gender equality laws” – KZ, KG, and TJ;
Quota systems;
Prohibition of gender-specific job ads;
Protection of personal data/marital status;
Concentration in education / medicine; Less representation in “hard power”, police/military; Criticisms of quota system; Remote rural areas: preference for sons; Bride kidnapping.
Poverty: Problem of Measuring
According to the World Bank, what are the measures for Absolute and moderate Poverty? What is the criticism of the WB approach?
$1.90/day (PPP) – ‘Extreme poverty’
(since 2015, raised from $1.25)
Global: 700+ million people (10%)
$3.10/day (PPP) – ‘Moderate poverty’
Global: 2.1 billion people (28%)
Criticisms: focused on cash, too simplistic
