Social Democracy in the Global Periphery: Origins, Challenges, Prospects - Softcover

Sandbrook, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521686873 ISBN 13: 9780521686877

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Social Democracy in the Global Periphery focuses on social-democratic regimes in the developing world that have, to varying degrees, reconciled the needs of achieving growth through globalized markets with extensions of political, social and economic rights. The authors show that opportunities exist to achieve significant social progress, despite a global economic order that favours core industrial countries. Their findings derive from a comparative analysis of four exemplary cases: Kerala (India), Costa Rica, Mauritius and Chile (since 1990). Though unusual, the social and political conditions from which these developing-world social democracies arose are not unique; indeed, pragmatic and proactive social-democratic movements helped create these favourable conditions. The four exemplars have preserved or even improved their social achievements since neoliberalism emerged hegemonic in the 1980s. This demonstrates that certain social-democratic policies and practices - guided by a democratic developmental state - can enhance a national economy's global competitiveness.

About this title

Book Description:

Despite a global economic order favouring core industrial countries, opportunities still exist for social-democratic regimes in the developing world to achieve significant social progress. Examining four case studies, the authors demonstrate how socio-economic development and democracy can occur under apparently divergent circumstances of capitalist transformation.

About the Author:

Richard Sandbrook is Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto.

Marc Edelman is Professor of Anthropology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Patrick Heller is Professor of Sociology at Brown University.

Judith Teichman is Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0521686873
• ISBN 13: 9780521686877
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 300