Wouter Van Ginneken (Ed.), Social Security for the Excluded Majority. Geneva: International Labour Office, 1999. $19.95 papercover

Miah, Mizanur R.

English

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The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 28 Issue 1 March Article 11 March 2001 Review of Social Security for the Excluded Majority. Wouter van Ginneken (Ed.). Reviewed by Mizanur Miah, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Mizanur R. Miah Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons, and the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Miah, Mizanur R. (2001) "Review of Social Security for the Excluded Majority. Wouter van Ginneken (Ed.). Reviewed by Mizanur Miah, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 28 : Iss. 1 , Article 11. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol28/iss1/11 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Work at ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu. Book ReviewsWouter Van Ginneken (Ed.), Social Security for the Excluded Major-ity. Geneva: International Labour Office, 1999. $19.95 paper-cover.This book addresses a timely and significant issue relatingto the lack of social security coverage for a vast majority of theworking population of the world especially, in the developingcountries. The problem testifies to the miserable failure of thefulfillment of the International Covenant on Economic, Socialand Cultural Rights (see, Article 9, in particular) that asserts the"rights of everyone to social security, including social insurance".It also undermines the role of ILO in fulfilling its "solemn obliga-tion" for the extension of social security measures in the nationsof the world as contained in the Philadelphia Declaration of 1944.In these backdrops, Wouter Van Ginneken explores some newand innovative ways, and documents a number of pioneeringefforts from five selected developing countries to help understandthe ways in which the informal sector workers may be accordedsocial security coverages to a significant degree. Ginneken arguesthat in possible cases, existing family and community supportsystems should be tied up with statutory social security programs.Also, in addition to tax-financed social assistance schemes, specialschemes for the self-employed, casual labour and homeworkerswith government earmarked taxes should produce highly desir-able results. Drawing upon the case studies from India, China, ElSalvador, Benin and the United Republic of Tanzania, Ginnekenasserts that the positive lessons learned from these countries inthe informal sectors be used as pilot experiments preferably, withgovernment involvement. It is suggested that these pilot projectsshould be area-based with full coverage in one area first and, ifsuccessful, they can be easily replicated in other areas with a verylow administrative cost. These projects call for an implementationof the "bottom-up" participatory approach rather than the "top-down" policy that many international donor agencies includingthe ILO previously preferred.The book consists of eight chapters. The first chapter writtenby the editor, W. V. Ginneken, offers an introduction to various164 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfareconcepts related to social security and the case study countries. Italso provides a brief overview of issues relating to the extensionand reform of statutory social insurance, the promotion of contrib-utory schemes, the cost-effective social assistance and the need forexperimentation. Chapter 2 documents a case study from Indiathat touches on the statutory social security, social assistance andself-financed social insurance. Contributed by Shashi Jain, thischapter is entitled as "Basic social security in India". Chapter 3titled as "Extending the coverage of social security protection inChina" has been contributed by Xiaoyi Hu, Renhua Cai and XuZhai. Chapter 4 has been contributed by Peter Kamuzora and istitled: "Extension of formal social security schemes in the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania". Chapter 5, contributed by Angwara DenisKiwara., is also a case study on Tanzania. It, however, exempli-fies the nation's health insurance policy and is titled as "Healthinsurance for the informal sector in the United Republic of Tan-zania". Chapter 6 underscores the "Basic social security in ElSalvador" and has been contributed by Ruth de Sol6rzano andVictor Ramirez. Chapter 7 depicts a case study on Benin. Writtenby Bernardin Gauth6, the chapter includes a discussion on "Socialsecurity for the informal sector in Benin". Chapter 8, the conclud-ing chapter, highlights some salient policy recommendations bythe editor. These include: (a) promoting contributory schemes,(b) fostering cost-effective social assistance and, (c) extending andreforming statutory social insurance schemes. This chapter alsounderscores clear roles for various social security partners thatinclude the government, the social partners, insurance companiesand social security agencies and, non-governmental organiza-tions (NGOs). The chapter concludes with a delineation of therole of the ILO in terms of research and experimentation, technicalassistance and standard setting.This book is a timely and significant contribution to the fieldof social work as well as social policy and social development. Thelist of tables (see Pp. xii & xiii) provides a very useful factual infor-mation for the readers on demographic, social, economic, healthand employment statistics, among others, for all five case studycountries. The experiences drawn from the five case study coun-tries have been analyzed by Ginneken very systematically pro-viding clear connection to the issue of social security coveragesBook Reviews 165in the informal sectors of the developing countries. The reader,whether a researcher, an educator, a policy maker or an interna-tional agency administrator, will find this book very informativeand useful in terms of understanding some effective and innova-tive ways to extend social security benefits to a large number ofdisadvantaged population of the world especially, those who arenot covered under any formal sector.Finally, even though these case studies represent only a frac-tion of the problem and offers positive results in a limited way,I consider this edition by W. V. Ginneken as a significant con-tribution to addressing the needs of the millions of sufferinghumanity. In that broader sense, the book definitely makes animmense contribution to the understanding of human rights andsocial development today.Mizanur R. MiahSouthern Illinois University at CarbondaleChristy M. Buchanan, Eleonor E. Maccoby and Sanford M. Dorn-busch, Adolescents after Divorce. Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press, 2000. $19.95 papercover. [August 1, 2000].The fate of children whose parents have divorced has been thefodder of many religious sermons, political speeches, scholarlyinvestigations, and coffee-shop chats. Much of what the publichears about children of divorce is shot through with passion,rhetoric, and assumptions-but not necessarily with clear think-ing. Adolescents after Divorce, however, offers a refreshing avenueof insight and clarity about children of divorce.Adolescents after Divorce begins with a disclaimer that it doesnot push a philosophical or political agenda regarding divorce orchildren's living situations, and by the conclusion of the book, thereader agrees that the material is presented in an even-handedmanner. The writing style of the work is excellent: it is clear,accurate, scholarly, and yet quite interesting. The authors haveachieved an objective but engaging tone. The material presentedin the book acknowledges the passion inherent in the subject ofchildren and divorce, but does not allow that passion to swamprational thinking.

Review of \u3cem\u3eSocial Security for the Excluded Majority.\u3c/em\u3e Wouter van Ginneken (Ed.). Reviewed by Mizanur Miah, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

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Review of \u3cem\u3eSocial Security for the Excluded Majority.\u3c/em\u3e Wouter van Ginneken (Ed.). Reviewed by Mizanur Miah, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

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