Implementing Proximate Welfare Programs in Weak Institutional Contexts
Lessons From the Global South
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6452131 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Taly Reininger (0000-0001-6398-5204, Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile, corresponding author), Mitzi Duboy Luengo (0000-0002-6539-0615, Universidad Alberto Hurtado Santiago Chile), Gianinna Muñoz Arce (0000-0003-4582-0507, Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile), Cristóbal Villalobos (0000-0002-1964-7213, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile), Myriam Vasquez (Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile), Francisca Irarrazabal (0000-0001-9826-7755, Universidad Alberto Hurtado Santiago Chile) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 168-178 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Policy and Administration (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0144-5596 • E-ISSN: 1467-9515 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/spol.13153 |
| OpenAlex | W4411310316 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 43 |
This article examines the implementation of proximity programmes in the Global South, particularly through Chile's Familias programme, to investigate the challenges faced by frontline professionals in weak institutional contexts. Drawing on interviews with Integral Family Supports implementing the programme, the study reveals that relational and spatial proximity are used to mitigate institutional weaknesses, compensating for the lack of available programmes and services. Whilst these proximate relationships provide families with emotional support, containment and motivation, they also temporarily reconfigure and heal State‐citizen relations by humanising and bridging the public‐private divide. However, these compensatory practises enable the programme to function despite deep structural deficiencies. In doing so, they risk obscuring institutional shortcomings whilst potentially reinforcing the very inequalities the programme aims to address. The study's findings offer valuable lessons for countries from the Global North undergoing welfare retrenchment and activation transformations, highlighting the potential risks of relying on proximate programme strategies in the absence of strong institutional support
Business · Economic growth · Economics · Political science · Proximate · Proximate and ultimate causation · Welfare · Chemistry · Income, Poverty, and Inequality · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Social Policy and Reform Studies
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |