Individuals with a foreign background are particularly financially exposed group in society,who are more likely to receive financial assistance. This study investigates long-term welfarerecipients with a foreign background and their path to self-sufficiency from the perspective ofthe social workers. The study answers two main questions: Firstly, what factors contribute tolong-term acceptance of aid among individuals with a foreign background? Secondly, whatdoes social workers' work look like with long-term welfare recipients with a foreignbackground? The study is based on a qualitative methodological approach, through semi-structured interviews with five social workers from various municipalities within theStockholm area who work within their respective units for financial assistance. The empirical data have been processed with thematic analysis, and the presented results havebeen analyzed with the theoretical frameworks of capital theory and empowerment. Theresults of this study show that both individual- and structural factors can contribute toindividuals with a foreign background getting stuck as long-term welfare recipients. Some ofthe factors are, for example, lack of language skills, low education level, segregation, alimited social network and the demands of the labor market. The results also show that socialworkers' work with long-term welfare recipients who have foreign background is mainlyabout motivational work and finding new individual-strengthening ways to help the clientsbreak their dependence on benefits, where the work can be particularly challenging with thistarget group. In conclusion, this study has contributed to an enhanced understanding of along-term welfare recipients among individuals with a foreign background and how socialworkers work in relation to these clients. / Individer med utländsk bakgrund är en särskilt ekonomiskt utsatt grupp i samhället som istörre utsträckning blir aktuella för att erhålla ekonomiskt bistånd. Syftet med denna studie äratt undersöka långvariga biståndstagare med utländsk bakgrund och deras väg ut till egenförsörjning utifrån socialsekreterarnas perspektiv. Studien besvarar de två framtagnafrågeställningarna; Vilka faktorer bidrar till ett långvarigt biståndstagande hos individer medutländsk bakgrund? och Hur ser socialsekreterarnas arbete ut med långvariga biståndstagarehos individer med utländsk bakgrund? En kvalitativ metod är grunden för empirin i dennastudie genom semistrukurerade intervjuer med fem socialsekreterare som arbetar inomenheten för ekonomiskt bistånd i olika kommuner inom Stockholmsområdet.  Empirin har bearbetats med tematisk analys där det presenterade resultatet sedan haranalyserats med stöd av de två teoretiska utgångspunkterna kapitalteorin och empowerment.Denna studies resultat visar att både individuella och strukturella faktorer kan bidra till attindivider med utländsk bakgrund fastnar i ett långvarigt biståndstagande. Några av defaktorerna är exempelvis bristande språkkunskaper, låg utbildningsnivå, segregation,begränsat socialt nätverk och arbetsmarknadens krav. Dessutom visar resultaten attsocialsekreterarnas arbete med de långvariga biståndstagarna som har utländsk bakgrundfrämst handlar om motiverande arbete och hitta nya individstärkande vägar för att hjälpaklienterna att bryta sitt bidragsberoende, där arbetet kan vara särskilt utmanande med dennamålgrupp. Denna studie har därmed givit ökad kunskap om långvariga biståndstagare blandindivider med utländsk bakgrund och hur socialsekreterare arbetar i relation till dessaklienter.

Studien syftar till att undersöka hur socialsekreterare upplever att barnrättsperspektivet beaktas inom arbetet på försörjningsstöd, samt hur organisatoriska förutsättningar påverkar i vilken mån barns rättigheter tas i beaktande vid handläggningen av försörjningsstöd. Resultatet visar att handlingsutrymmet påverkar i vilken utsträckning barnrättsperspektivet tas i beaktandet i handläggningsprocessen. Socialsekreterarna beskriver också att kunskap om lagstiftning är förutsättning för att kunna beakta ett barnrättsperspektiv inom försörjningsstöd. Vidare visar även resultatet att det är gemensamt för socialsekreterarna att de anser att det är vårdnadshavarna som har det huvudsakliga ansvaret att tillgodose barnets grundläggande behov. Slutligen indikerar resultatet även att det finns brister när det kommer till att följa organisatoriska riktlinjer till följd av hög arbetsbelastning och utmanande arbetsuppgifter / This study aims to examine social workers experiences about the child rights perspective in the processing of social assistance. The study also aims to examine how organizational guidelines affect how the child rights perspective is taken into account in the processing of social assistance. The result shows that social workers, in the role as street level bureaucrats, are affected by their discretion to what extent the child rights perspective is taken into account. Social workers also describe that knowledge about legislation is a condition for being able to take the child rights perspective into account. The results show that social workers emphasize that the caregivers have the main responsibility to fulfill their children's needs. In conclusion, the results indicate that social workers, who work with social assistance, experience that there is a limited discretion when it comes to child rights perspective in the processing of social assistance. The result also indicates that there are deficiencies when it comes to following the organizational guidelines due to high workload and resource demanding work tasks

This qualitative study aims to analyze how social workers who work with social assistance view young adults who are unemployed and receiving financial support, as well as how the social workers describe their work with this target group. This was examined through interviews with six different social workers. The interview material was analyzed using Van Oorschot and Halman's (2000) analytical framework on explanations for poverty. The analytical framework addressed two dimensions in the form of social and individual, as well as blame and fate. Based on these dimensions, following explanatory models were created: individual blame, individual fate, social blame and social fate. The results show that all four explanatory models appear in the social workers' reasoning about the target group although, some models occured more frequently. In the social workers' reasoning about how they described the target group, a pattern of the social dimension and especially social blame emerged, while the reasoning about how the social workers work with the target group showed the individual dimension with a focus on individual blame. The conclusion is that the social workers view young adults who are unemployed and receiving social assistance differently from how they work with the target group.

In this thesis the feasibility of making social transfers conditional in South Africa is examined with specific focus on the Child Support Grant. Currently, there are more than 8.7 million children receiving Child Support Grants, which is impacting positively on poverty alleviation. Yet, social outcomes, especially in health and education are poor. The conditionality of transfers will compel the parents/guardians of these children to ensure that the children regularly attend school and also utilise the health services. Conditional cash transfers, by their nature, attempt to address the low demand for these services, which are available but are not being utilised. The National Income Dynamic Study (NIDS) is employed to test empirically whether it will be feasible to institute conditionality to the CSG. The methodology adopted is to determine if there is any statistically significant difference (education and health outcomes) between the recipients of the CSG with non-recipients of the CSG. Moreover, the population (as extrapolated from the sample) is separated into four groups, namely, children that qualify and receive the grant (QR), children that qualify and do not receive the grant (QNR), children that do not qualify and receive the grant (NQR) and children that do not qualify and do not receive the grant (NQNR). Subsequently, educational and health outcomes are compared between these groups to determine if there is any statistically significant difference between them. The results demonstrate that school attendance is high among children, and there is no significant difference in school attendance between the recipients and non-recipients of the CSG; as well as between the QR, QNR, NQR and NQNR. Moreover, there is no substantial difference in education outcomes (grade repetition) between the recipients and non-recipients of the CSG; as well as between the four groups. Similar results are found for health where there is no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding utilisation of health services as well as health outcomes. Therefore, conditionality of the CSG would not be feasible, as it does not address the causes of poor health and education outcomes, which are mainly due to supply-side deficiencies. Government should rather strengthen current poverty alleviation policies which seem to be impacting positively on poverty reduction. / Economics / D. Com (Economics)

Text in Afrikaans / Social security is an important instrument of government to reduce the risks of economic insecurity to indivi~uals and the community. Social security usually consists of social insurance (for example pensions, unemployment insurance and workmen's compensation) and social assistance (for example social pensions, disability grants and maintenance grants). In view of South Africa's low economic growth, high and rising unemployment, widespread poverty, skew distribution of income and the disintegration of the family, social security requires urgent attention. This issue is even more pressing during the political transition since most policy measures and institutions are reconsidered, while pressure on government expenditure increases. This study commences with a discussion of basic aspects of social security, such as its definition, the rationale for social security in a market economy, the possible influence on economic behaviour, targeting, the financing of social security through a payroll tax and general taxation and the financing of a national pension fund. One of the sources of information of social security is the experience of other countries in this regard. The second part, which constitutes the core of the study, involves a comparative study of social security. After a general discussion on comparative studies, the origin and development of social security in welfare states (the USA, Britain and the Netherlands) and developing countries (Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Sri Lanka) are studied. African countries and the "miracle" countries of the East also receive brief attention. The main emphasis is on equity and efficiency, and aspects such as affordability, financing, targeting, the extension of coverage, a negative income tax, traditional social security and specific programmes that could be of importance to South Africa. In the last section the origin and development of and the fiscal scope for social security are discussed. Besides social insurance and assistance, programmes such as in-kind transfers, public works programmes and tax expenditure receive attention. Aspects of social security such as poverty alleviation, means testing, take-up rates, administration and corruption are discussed, while recommendations are made on topics such as a "voluntarily" national pension scheme, employment creation programmes and food stamps. / Bestaansbeveiliging is 'n belangrike instrument in die hande van die owerheid om die risiko' s van ekonomiese onsekerheid vir individue en die gemeenskap te verminder. Bestaansbeveiliging bestaan gewoonlik uit maatskaplike versekering (waaronder pensioene, werkloosheidsversekering en ongevalleversekering) en maatskaplike bystand (byvoorbeeld maatskaplike pensioene, ongeskiktheidstoelaes en onderhoudstoelaes). In die lig van Suid-Afrika se lae ekonomiese groei, hoe en stygende werkloosheid, wydverspreide armoede, skewe verdeling van inkome en gesinsverbrokkeling, verg bestaansbeveiliging dringende aandag. Die aangeleentheid is des te dringender gedurende die politieke oorgangsperiode waartydens die meeste beleidsmaatreels en instellings in heroorweging geneem word en daar voortdurend druk op die owerheid is om meer van die land se skaars bronne te gebruik. Ter inleiding word enkele kemaspekte van bestaansbeveiliging bespreek, waaronder die definisie daarvan, die rasionaal vir bestaansbeveiliging in 'n markekonomie, die moontlike invloed van bestaansbeveiliging op ekonomiese gedrag, die rol van teikenstelling, die finansiering van bestaansbeveiliging deur middel van 'n loonstaatbelasting en algemene belastings en die finansiering van 'n nasionale pensioenfonds. Een bron van inligting oar bestaansbeveiliging is die ervaring van ander lande op hierdie terrein. Die tweede gedeelte, wat die kern van die studie is, behels 'n vergelykende studie van bestaansbeveiliging. Na 'n inleidende bespreking oar vergelykende studies in die algemeen, word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van bestaansbeveiliging in welvaartstate (die VSA, Brittanje en Nederland) en in ontwikkelende lande (Chili, Mexiko, Guatemala, Kuba en Sri Lanka) bestudeer. Afrikalande en die "mirakel-lande" van die Coste kry oorsigtelik aandag. Die nadruk in die gedeelte val veral op billikheid en doeltreffendheid en aspekte soos bekostigbaarheid, finansiering, teikenstelling, uitbreiding van dekking, negatiewe inkomstebelasting, tradisionele bestaansbeveiliging en programme wat vir Suid-Afrika van betekenis kan wees. In die laaste gedeelte word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van en die fiskale ruimte vir bestaansbeveiliging in Suid-Afrika bespreek. Benewens maatskaplike versekering en bystand, kry programme soos in natura oordragte, openbare werke-programme (werkskeppingsprogramme) en belastinguitgawes aandag. Aspekte van bestaansbeveiliging soos armoedeverligting, die middeletoets, opneemkoerse, administrasie en korrupsie word bespreek en aanbevelings word onder me er gemaak ten opsigte van 'n "vrywillige" nasionale pensioenskema, werkskeppingsprogramme en voedselkoepons. / Sociology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Ekonomie)

在老年階段中，經濟安全已然為僅次於醫療健康之重要需求之一，亦是影響最基本生活水準之維持，關係著老年社會角色之扮演與參與，進而增進身心健康、確保精神自主之主要因素。當我們對老年階段發展與需求有更清楚的認識，對於可預期之「老化」當可降低恐懼，亦可事先作好經濟安全之預備。 本研究嘗試從最傳統之扶養機制，與社會安全之最後一道防線切入，透過是類途徑之法規範探究，瞭解我國老親經濟安全如何獲得保障，並瞭解政府責任與家庭責任之間如何協調出一個適切之分工關係。 私扶養與公扶助之意涵，反映了政府如何看待家庭所應扮演的角色，以及福利制度如何回應家庭變遷，如果單純復以道德倫理或社會成本衡量一個制度的良窳或續行價值，並不足以趕上新世代親子關係轉變所帶來之需要與互動，亦不足以因應老親因延年益壽所引發的新經濟安全需求。因此與其說是為卑親卸責或是解套，毋寧說是無奈於社會變遷、經濟發展及親子觀念更迭，為提高老親經濟安全保障實效之務實作法與建議。誠然福利制度的完善不必然取代私扶養之價值，惟私扶養規範之框架已違背了自治之精神，參雜過多之司法干預，忽視扶養起於親情間反哺知恩之本質，將扶養定位在經濟能力之衡量，更與論語所追求之養口體、色養、養志等全方位之奉養、承歡膝下，乃至克紹箕裘有所距離。政府如一味蔑視社會觀念的改變、親子關係表達方式之變化，固守不合時宜的扶養規範，並緊守公扶助之窄門，以此婉拒真正有需要之老親者申請公扶助，卻又而無法同時強化家庭功能、給予必要的協助，將導致老親徒具法的權利，卻又無法享有尊嚴的晚年，受害最深者仍是老親本身。而在家庭內部所生之不健全年金市場，如無法真正保障老親之經濟安全，只是讓貧窮之世代一再複製與循環代間之愛恨情仇，最後損失的將不僅是親子關係，更是社會之經濟發展與社會安全品質。 經研究發現，私扶養與公扶助均無法單獨建構一個完整的老親經濟安全網絡，僅憑藉兩者之合作亦無法建構出一個完整而妥善之經濟安全網。惟私扶養與公扶助所扮演著「殘補式」的功能及角色，各自在老親經濟安全保障上仍存有一定之價值及必要性，思及整體經濟安全保障體系之建構與整合時，一個更有尊嚴、不需資產調查、無社會烙印之預防性保障措施，更是社會各界對於社會保險及年金制度殷切期盼且寄予厚望之原因所在。生、老、病、死是人生必經過程，禮記禮運篇：「…..故人不獨親其親，不獨子其子，使老有所終，壯有所用，幼有所長，鰥寡孤獨廢疾者皆有所養……」之理想境界，不僅是過去的理想，亦是當代老親的衷願。

經濟效率與經濟公平，是經濟學中最具爭議性的議題之一。俄羅斯自1992年開始由計劃經濟轉型為市場經濟，政府的首要目標就是追求經濟效率的提升，相較而言對於經濟公平的問題較不重視，因此，在轉型的過程中社會所得分配差距持續擴大，最終導致兩極化分配結果。 本文透過文獻整理和統計數據對比分析論證方法探究1992至1997年間俄羅斯轉型政策對其所得不均惡化之影響。首先，藉由俄羅斯轉型前、後所得不均指標之對比，以及其與同時期其他中所得國家和轉型國家之比較，暸解俄羅斯所得不均情況，證明俄國轉型後所得分配惡化程度。其次，由私有化政策、自由化政策、穩定化政策以及社會救助政策等四個層面，分析俄羅斯轉型政策如何影響其所得分配。最後，說明已經是市場經濟體且被譽為金磚四國之一的俄羅斯，其近年來亮麗的經濟成長表現和普欽總統之社會救助政策，對其所得不均皆尚未產生改善效果，故1998年後的俄國所得分配狀況仍値得改以市場因素和相關政策等方面作為觀察重點，進行後續研究。 關鍵詞：俄羅斯、所得不均、私有化、自由化、穩定化、社會救助政策 / Economic efficiency and equity have always been one of the most controversial issues in the economics. Russia began the transformation from a planned economy to a market economy since 1992, and during the process of transformation, the primary objective of the Russian government was to enhance economic efficiency, by contrast, the economic equity was less emphasized. Therefore, the inequality of income distribution had become more and more serious. At the end, it led to the polarization of income distribution. In this study, literature review, comparative analysis and statistical data analysis methods will be used to explore how Russian transformation policies had resulted in the aggravation of income inequality between 1992 and 1997. First of all, in order to clarify the income inequality in Russia, some income inequality indexes of Russia before and after the transformation will be compared, and by the comparison with other mid-income and transformation countries in the same era, we can identify the aggravation of income distribution after the transformation. Secondly, how Russian transformation policies had influenced income distribution will be analyzed from four aspects: privatization policy, liberalization policy, stabilization policy, and social assistance policies. Finally, author interpret that although Russia has moved towards a market economy and become one of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries in recent years, its brilliant economic performance with Putin’s social assistance policies have not yet improved the situation. Therefore, author suggests that the further research on Russian income distribution after 1998 is better to focus on market factors and related economic policies. Keyword: Russia, Income Inequality, Privatization, Liberalization, Stabilization, Social Assistance Policy

Ce mémoire vise à comprendre la détermination des droits et des obligations relatifs aux individus seuls aptes à l’emploi bénéficiant de l’aide sociale allemande entre 1990 et 2012. Tout d’abord, il passe en revue les principaux mécanismes formels de fixation et d’actualisation des droits monétaires présents dans la plupart des pays de l’OCDE et montre par quels moyens l’Allemagne détermine la générosité des revenus de l’aide sociale. Soulevant le caractère plutôt arbitraire de ces mécanismes, il poursuit en soutenant que la générosité relative des droits et des obligations des individus seuls aptes à l’emploi peut principalement s’expliquer en des termes de conditionnalité et de mérite. Par le biais d’une revue de la littérature sur le sujet, le mémoire illustre comment les dynamiques catégorielles et la construction des programmes de dernier recours allemands en viennent à refléter une hiérarchie implicite du mérite expliquant à la fois la générosité plus faible des droits monétaires et la plus grande conditionnalité des droits sociaux visant les bénéficiaires seuls aptes à l’emploi. Finalement, il soutient que la construction du régime concernant les individus aptes à l’emploi en Allemagne doit se comprendre selon l’utilisation des droits et des obligations en tant que levier de régulation de l’individu et du marché du travail. Dans cette optique, le mémoire montre que les réformes Hartz du marché du travail ont non seulement formalisé le tournant pris vers l’activation du sans-emploi en Allemagne, mais que la construction particulière du nouveau régime de droits et d’obligations visant les individus aptes reflète ultimement l’objectif de diminution du chômage via la création d’emplois dans le secteur des bas salaires. / This thesis aims to understand the determination of rights and obligations related to single unemployed able-bodied individuals benefiting from the German social assistance between 1990 and 2012. To do so, the thesis reviews the main formal benchmark and actualization mechanisms of monetary rights present in most OECD countries and shows how Germany determines the generosity of social assistance benefits. Raising the somewhat arbitrary nature of these mechanisms, it goes on to argue that the relative generosity of the rights and obligations of unemployed able-bodied individuals can be explained mainly in terms of conditionality and deservingness. Through a literature review on the topic, the thesis illustrates how the categorical differentiation and the particular construction of last resort programs in Germany come to reflect an implicit hierarchy based on deservingness, explaining both the lowest generosity of monetary rights and the greater conditionality attached to social rights concerning single able-bodied individuals. Finally, it argues that the construction of the rights and obligations for these citizens must be understood as a control lever allowing the regulation of both the individual and the labour market. From this perspective, the thesis shows that the Hartz reforms have not only formalized the activation paradigm regulating unemployment in Germany, but that the particular construction of the new scheme for able- bodied individuals ultimately reflects the objective of reducing unemployment by creating jobs in the low-wage sector.

Este estudo analisa o processo de consolidação da Terapia Ocupacional Social, com base na produção científica do estado de São Paulo. Tal campo, criado nos anos 1970, desenvolveu-se a partir de debates nas instituições de ensino de São Paulo, cuja produção tem sido fundamental para seu desenvolvimento no Brasil, com significativas contribuições no âmbito teórico e prático. Como fontes, utilizaram-se os trabalhos apresentados nos seis últimos Congressos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional, bem como a bibliografia sobre o tema. A análise evidenciou as questões levantadas através desse campo, identificou seus principais autores e suas contribuições: o desenvolvimento de tecnologias para lidar com as questões sociais vinculadas à ação junto às(aos) pessoas/grupos em processo de rupturas de redes sociais / This study analyses the Social Occupational Therapy consolidation process based on the scientific production from the state of São Paulo, in whose educational institutions such field, created in the 1970s, was developed by means of several debates. This gave rise to a fundamental production for its development in Brazil, with significant theoretical and practical contributions. The works presented in the six last Brazilian Congresses of Occupational Therapy, as well as the existent bibliography on the subject were used as sources of research. The analysis outlined the questions raised by this field, identified its main authors and their contributions: the development of technologies to deal with social issues related to procedures concerning people/groups going through processes of social net rupture

Esta tese discute o entrelaçamento de três áreas de políticas sociais assistência social, segurança alimentar e nutricional e programas de transferência de renda na construção recente do Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Combate à Fome (MDS), no campo do desenvolvimento social brasileiro pós-Constituição Federal de 1988 (CF 88). Analiso como essas áreas e suas trajetórias se combinaram, interpenetraram e acabaram se reunindo sob o mesmo locus institucional ministerial e trouxeram à tona uma rediscussão sobre projetos de desenvolvimento social. Debati a suposição de que a criação do MDS teria propiciado o entrelaçamento de políticas estabelecendo um padrão de gerenciamento articulado com um projeto político de desenvolvimento social reconhecível, de tipo protetor e voltado à mitigação das condições de precariedade de vida da população. Adotei uma perspectiva longitudinal e o método de process tracing (COLLIER, 2011) na discussão das ocorrências e sua avaliação como evidências. Entendi que a criação e as mudanças institucionais são processos que passam por diferentes caminhos: da persistência de padrões com acréscimos incrementais até extinções e momentos ruptivos. No decurso argumentativo, examinei o desenvolvimento institucional das três áreas em estudo, discuti os caminhos paralelos de construção, suas sequências diferentes e condições que apresentaram quando se chegou à reconfiguração organizacional decorrente da criação do ministério de desenvolvimento social e combate à fome, em 2004. O MDS adquiriu um nível aceitável de autoridade para coordenação de planos e programas prioritários, dependente da agenda do executivo, e isso contribuiu para incentivos à integração, mesmo que apenas no plano normativo. Essa despretensiosa unificação acabou criando um corpo de coordenação diferenciado para conduzir a agenda social dos últimos governos. Assim, o MDS estruturou o espaço de rede de proteção no brasil, com primazia do estado, seja na mitigação de condições precárias de certos segmentos populacionais, seja no fortalecimento de serviços básicos na garantia de direitos. A cooperação entre as instâncias governamentais não se constitui em característica própria do funcionamento do aparelho estatal moderno, o que torna o entrelaçamento de políticas, apesar de um consenso discursivo, um processo inabitual/ incomum que requer maior esforço de articulação. / This dissertation discusses three intertwining areas of social policy social Assistance, food security, and income transfer programs in relation to the recently formed Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS) in Brazils post-democratization period (1988-present). I analyze how these social policy programs combined, interpenetrated, and ultimately coalesced under the same ministerial institutional locus, bringing forth a renewed discussion on social development. I started the research with the assumption that the creation of the MDS would have promoted hybridization of the policies, thus establishing a consolidated management system with a recognizable social development project united in its focus on improving living conditions for the most precarious sectors of the population. The assumption was based on the idea that the merging of the institutional locus for social policies could increase their interdependence, open new possibilities for working together, require negotiation of existing resources and priorities, and thereby result in institutional changes for all three policy areas. I adopted a longitudinal perspective and the process tracing method (COLLIER, 2011) for events and their evaluation as evidence. I conceptualized the creation and evolution of institutions as processes that may follow different paths: from persistence of patterns with incremental additions to extinctions and ruptures. My findings challenge the prevailing literature that suggests that cooperation between government bodies is rarely observed in the modern state apparatus. The conditions under which disparate policy domains are interwoven was in need of greater scholarly attention. My findings show that the MDS acquired enough legitimacy to coordinate once-atomized plans and priority programs that aligned with the executive agenda. This authority contributed to the incentive to integrate, even if only in normative terms. This unification created a distinctive coordination body for recent administrations social agendas. Thus, through the actions of a strong and integrating state, the MDS strengthened the social safety net in Brazil, mitigating hardships for the most precarious segments of the population, and improving access to basic services as rights.