{"title":"Welfare dynamics of minimum income recipients in Spain: A sequence analysis of employment and activation trajectories","authors":"Laureano Martínez, Victoria Bogino","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper sheds light on the trajectories of working-age beneficiaries of means-tested minimum income schemes (MIS) regarding employment, activation, and benefit receipt. For this purpose, we address two main questions: What types of trajectories can be identified in the MIS in terms of spell length, access to employment, and labor activation? What factors influence belonging to a certain trajectory? Drawing on monthly administrative longitudinal data, we analyzed MIS benefit trajectories between 2016 and 2020 in Spain using sequence and cluster analysis. The results indicate a significant polarization between long-term trajectories characterized by a substantial presence in labor activation measures and those recipients with a short spell in the program and considerable access to employment. An intermediate path is constituted by medium-duration trajectories, with average access to employment and activation. This leads to important recommendations for program reforms aimed at adopting differentiated measures according to the type of social problems behind each trajectory.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70021","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144323624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gaps between de jure entitlements and de facto benefits: Institutional drift and non-take-up in China's maternity benefit system","authors":"Zhe Yan, Tobias ten Brink, Armin Müller","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Chinese female workers have a de jure right to maternity benefits, enshrined in law and policy since the 1950s. Using the concept of institutional drift, this article examines why entitlements are not awarded as legally stipulated. It finds that the transition from a command to a market economy undermined the effectiveness of maternity benefit entitlements. Although maternity insurance was introduced in 1994 to alleviate drift, employer non-compliance and lax enforcement resulted in non-take-up of benefits. The non-contributory design of the insurance makes employers both contributors to and distributors of the maternity benefits to which formally employed workers are entitled. Combining historical research, interviews and quantitative data, this article documents the historical evolution of maternity benefits in China, identifies drift as the mechanism underlying uneven insurance coverage and declining benefit levels, and argues that a comprehensive understanding of non-take-up must go beyond the individual worker level to include the role of employers and local governments.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70024","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144255898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding the oppression of Black girls and women within the global context: Illustrations from Ghana and the United States","authors":"Abigail Williams-Butler, Portia Nartey, Antoinette Y. Farmer, Vyda Mamley Hervie, Augustina Naami","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the African diaspora, there is documented oppression of girls and women. While many policies and laws have been created to improve the well-being of this population, many of them are ineffective, oftentimes due to harmful cultural practices enshrined by systems of oppression. This paper conducts a cross-cultural comparative analysis using the framework of intersectionality to explore the unique oppression that girls and women experience in sub-Saharan Africa and the African diaspora. Specific cultural practices and policies will be analyzed using Ghana and the United States. In Ghana, we explore the Trokosi system as a cultural practice which negatively influences the well-being of girls and women. In the United States, we explore the child welfare system, which we argue also negatively influences the well-being of Black girls and Black women. Similarities and differences related to the underlying oppression that both groups experience are explored in detail utilizing both contextual intersectionality and situated intersectionality.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Disability policies in South Africa and Sweden: A critical policy analysis from a social work perspective","authors":"Noreth Muller-Kluits, Malin Ljungberg, Ilze Slabbert, Ulla-Karin Schön","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study critically examines the central policy documents that regulate care and support for people with disabilities in South Africa and Sweden.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study critically analyses South Africa's White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Swedish Disability Act. Utilizing the “What's the Problem Represented to be? (WPR)” framework developed by Bacchi, the problematization of disability in these policy documents is discussed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Both countries have shifted from a medical model of disability toward a more inclusive, rights-based approach. While South Africa focuses on addressing historical inequalities and promoting mainstreaming, Sweden prioritizes individual autonomy, personal assistance, and structural support for independent living.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The analysis reveals that South Africa relies more heavily on family and community support for individuals with disabilities. By contrast, Sweden promotes greater self-determination for individuals, reducing the burden on families by offering state-supported personal assistance.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70022","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding Iran's welfare regime: The interplay of community, family, market, and state in a religious context","authors":"Rezvan Ostadalidehaghi, Daniel Béland","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines Iran's welfare regime and pays close attention to the gendered and religious dimensions of Iranian social policies. Despite the formal recognition of social security coverage as a citizenship right, Iran’s welfare system remains uneven in its coverage. About half of Iran's population benefits from state-provided social insurance programs, with others dependent on community support and social assistance. Simultaneously, while there have been notable advancements in educational attainment and reproductive health among women, a significant proportion of women are not attached to the labor market and rely heavily on family and state social assistance rather than on social insurance coverage. Emphasizing the role of religion, this article illuminates the country's social policy landscape and the multifaceted factors underpinning or hindering its welfare formation.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70019","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144117952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Decent old-age incomes for all? A microdata analysis of poverty among older adults in the Netherlands","authors":"Benedikt Goderis, Sander Muns","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The fact that a considerable number of people in rich societies do not have the means to obtain the minimum necessities raises legitimate questions for policy. Older adults are especially vulnerable because of deteriorating health, rising costs of medical care and loss of labour income. We use administrative panel data over the period 2012–2021 and a budget-based poverty line to estimate the extent of poverty among Dutch citizens aged 50 years and older. Our results show that old-age poverty is low compared to poverty among younger age groups, especially among the over-65s. Moreover, it is more prevalent, more frequently occurring and more persistent among first-generation immigrants than among natives. Second-generation immigrants are also more vulnerable, but their disadvantage is much smaller and limited to people who have not yet reached retirement age. These results point to the importance of the Dutch state pension scheme in preventing poverty among older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ana Cristina de Souza Queiroz, Luís Eduardo Afonso
{"title":"The redistributive impacts of the Brazilian 2019 pension reform on individual pension indicators for Brazilian civil servants","authors":"Ana Cristina de Souza Queiroz, Luís Eduardo Afonso","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines the redistributive effects of the 2019 reform on the benefits of Brazil's federal public service pension scheme for old-age and survivors' benefits. We developed an actuarial model to compare the <i>Current Situation</i> (which applies to those who entered public service from 2020 onward) with the three cohorts under the <i>Old Situation</i> (those who joined before 2004, those who joined between 2004 and 2012, and those who joined between 2013 and 2019). We calculated four pension indicators, breaking down the results by gender, as well as teaching and non-teaching staff. The reforms led to reductions in both replacement rates and required rates. Additionally, the internal rates of return decreased, while effective rates increased. Women and teachers were the most negatively affected by these changes. The composition of required rates between old-age and survivors' pensions has also shifted. Overall, the reforms diminished the redistributive characteristics and the adequacy while increasing their equity and progressivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70018","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Negotiating psychological costs: How welfare recipients' perceived interactions with welfare bureaucrats impact their experiences of administrative burden","authors":"Miriam Raab","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70017","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While it is well established that welfare bureaucrats hold some discretionary power in implementing welfare policies, scholars of the administrative burden concept have only recently begun to consider their individual impacts on welfare recipients' experiences of onerous state encounters. This article aims to explore how welfare recipients' perceptions of personal interactions with welfare bureaucrats shape their experiences of administrative burden, specifically their psychological costs, by drawing on biographical–narrative interviews conducted with 33 (former) welfare benefit recipients in Germany. The results reveal that welfare recipients perceive individual welfare bureaucrats as responsible for reducing, increasing, or creating certain psychological costs they experience and that welfare recipients themselves respond to these costs and negotiate them to some extent. This article contributes to the growing literature on citizens' experiences of administrative burden and expands the concepts of psychological costs and citizen agency by building on theoretical frameworks of coping behaviours in response to stress and psychological costs. The results also confirm a need for policy changes that support, rather than discourage, more case-sensitive approaches to welfare benefits and employment services.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143908961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Daily challenges and coping strategies of Chin irregular migrant workers in Malaysia: A qualitative study on health and well-being","authors":"Tual Sawn Khai, Muhammad Asaduzzaman","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This qualitative study examined the challenges affecting the well-being and coping strategies of Chin irregular migrant workers in Malaysia. Using non-governmental organization referrals and snowball sampling, 25 participants were recruited for semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The findings revealed that participants experienced mistreatment, discrimination, and financial exploitation from employers and co-workers because of their irregular status, ethnic background, and language barriers. Fears of detention, deportation, restricted access to public healthcare, and discriminatory treatment affected their daily mental challenges and mental health. Religious devotion, alcohol consumption, and cohabitation were found to be coping strategies for addressing struggles, some of which are harmful coping mechanisms that lead to health problems. Therefore, collaboration between Myanmar and Malaysia is crucial for regularizing migrant status, providing accessible medical care without fear of repercussions, and enabling the use of formal channels for remittances to improve the health and well-being of these individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijsw.70016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143884243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Uneven care across states: Disparities in Medicaid 1915(c) home and community-based services waivers for older adults in the United States","authors":"Hazal Swearinger, Taryn Lindhorst","doi":"10.1111/ijsw.70015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The aging population in the United States, combined with older adults' strong preference for aging in place, has driven an increased demand for home and community-based services (HCBS). Medicaid 1915(c) waivers are a critical component of the social welfare system, providing essential services such as homemaker services, personal care, and assistive technology to help economically vulnerable older adults with physical difficulties continue living in their homes. This study investigates state-level differences in the availability, accommodation, and generosity of 1915(c) waivers for older adults. Data include approved state waiver applications, Genworth State Cost of Care, Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office reports, and the Medicaid Analytic Extract dataset. Findings reveal pronounced differences among states in these key areas. This study offers critical insights for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of expanding service variation, increasing slot allocation, incorporating participant direction more broadly, and enhancing generosity.</p>","PeriodicalId":47567,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Welfare","volume":"34 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143849222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}