¿Arañando bienestar? Trabajo remunerado, protección social y familias en America Central

Juliana MARTINEZ FRANZONI. CLACSO-CROP Series. CLACSO. Buenos Aires, July 2008.

While millions of persons in Central-America do not have any other alternative but to appeal to the family when confronting almost anything, this books looks at what can be done in order to change this situation. This study documents social transitions in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The objective is to contribute to the political debate and policies in states which during the 20th century missed a collective and institutionalized management of well being. Are there manners of living social transitions which do not result in an exaggerated competition in the domestic sphere? If so, what are they? In a region characterized by social problems the notions of the “welfare state” generate skepticism. However, understanding the “welfare state” as a constellation of practices – market, family and state – which secures a sound distribution, what is better that looking at this from a perspective which, in addition to describe and explain, also looks a what is desirable from a normative perspective?