Social Exclusion Policies and Labour Markets in Latin America

What is it about?

Social protection systems (SPS) in Latin America, especially in those countries considered to be pioneers in the implementation of social insurance, were founded on universalistic aims and followed European models.1 Despite these aims, SPS developed in a fragmented and unequal manner, with severe limitations on the expansion of coverage (Mesa-Lago 1978, 1989; Lautier 2006). As a result, even when in the 1970s several countries exhibited fairly extensive systems, these were ‘hybrids’ in comparison to the traditional European welfare state regimes. The experience in Latin America reveals the limitations of comparative studies based on stylized welfare state regime typologies (Esping-Andersen 1990), and the need to conduct a more holistic analysis of each SPS.2

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