About the network
This is an exciting time for the study of Latin American social policy. During the twenty-first century great changes have transformed the way the state protects and supports citizens. Existing programmes have been reformed and new programmes have been created to take welfare protection to groups of the population never reached before. Most of the recent innovations in the field have emerged from the region. Latin America has become the social policy laboratory of the world.
The changing landscape of Latin American social policy requires an expansion on the knowledge of its drivers, outputs and outcomes, to set its achievements, shortcomings and limitations. Much research is needed to provide elements for public debate and evidence for policy design, implementation and evaluation. The Latin American Social Policy Research Network (LASP), in collaboration with the Centre for the Analysis of Social Policy (CASP), aims to bring together students, academics and policymakers with an interest in contributing to these ends.
The network aims to:
- Promote research on Latin American social politics and policies
- Contribute to public debates on social policy formulation, implementation and outcomes
- Promote academic research and policy collaboration
- Promote relevant academic events
- Publish early drafts of publications especially for PhD candidates and junior academics (see the future LASP working paper series)
- Share teaching materials and data
- Share information and guidance for publishing research on Latin America (i.e. details of book series, publishers etc.)
- Promote members’ research work and publications and identify opportunities for collaborations
- Debate policy developments in the region between members
- Establish links with academic and government institutions in the region and other existing academic and policy networks
- Manage the Latin American Social Policy Jiscmail: To build and strengthen links among students, academics and policy-makers interested in the social policy of Latin American countries
LASP is complementary to other efforts in academic and policy networking. We invite suggestions for formal links with other relevant initiatives.
Network co-ordinators
Outputs
Events:
- LASP symposium on ‘Challenges for social policy in Latin America after the ‘pink tide’, 10-12 July 2017
- Social Policy in Mexico, University of Bath, 15 July 2016
- Social Policy at the Subnational Level in Mexico, held at UNAM and BUAP, 29 September 2015
- Democracy and Social Policy in Latin America, University of Bristol, 15-16 September 2015
- Theoretical and methodological challenges of social policy analysis at the sub-national level: the case of Mexico, March 2015
- Theoretical and methodological challenges of social policy analysis at the sub-national level: the case of Mexico, 26 March 2015
- The Transformation of Latin American Social Policy: Dynamics, Institutions and Outcomes, 7 November 2014
Publications:
- Assessing the Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin American Societies in the Early Twenty-First Century, journal Social Policy and Society, 2016
- Publication of Special issue on Latin American Social Policy in the Journal Social Policy and Society, 2016
News:
- Latin America Social Policy Network (LASP) to host panel at forthcoming conference
- University’s Mexican connections enrich social policy analysis
- Conference success leads to new Latin America Social Policy Network