Introduction: social protection in the Western Balkans

Bartlett, Will ORCID: 0000-0002-6775-4339 and Uvalić, Milica (2022) Introduction: social protection in the Western Balkans. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy, 38 (2). 130 - 134. ISSN 2169-9763

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Abstract

This introductory essay situates the papers in this Thematic Section within the background of social policy development in the Western Balkans during the long period of transition following the break-up of former Yugoslavia. We identify three stages of transformation of social protection policies. The first, in the 1990s, was characterised by a continuation of the Yugoslav legacy of social insurance, while many work-based benefits were lost during privatisation. In the second stage, international institutions promoted individualised social protection policies, taken up in some countries but avoided in others. In the third phase, EU influence on social policies accompanied the prolonged EU accession process, with an emphasis on the introduction of work-care policies, early childhood education and the remediation of in-work poverty. The four papers address these issues in greater detail and provide a basis for re-evaluating progress with social protection policies in the Western Balkans in the future.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of...
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Authors
Divisions:	European Institute
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance
Date Deposited:	27 Oct 2022 11:35
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2024 03:22
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/117190

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