Multiple Dimensions of Social Assistance: The Case of Peru's 'Glass of Milk' Programme

James Copestake

Journal of Development Studies, 2008, vol. 44, issue 4, 545-561

Abstract: Social assistance has attracted renewed interest in countries where economic growth is doing too little on its own to address high levels of income inequality and poverty. Research into the material effects of such programmes is important but can be misleading if it fails to capture their full meaning to intended beneficiaries and other stakeholders. This is illustrated by a case study of Peru's 'glass of milk' programme, drawing on mostly qualitative evidence of its material, social and cultural dimensions. The programme is found to be well adapted to diverse contexts, but in a way that enhances its efficacy as a gendered instrument of mass patronage rather than as a means of addressing Peru's structural inequalities. The paper also suggests that a switch to conditional cash transfers is unlikely, on its own, to change this.

Date: 2008
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00220380801980871 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:44:y:2008:i:4:p:545-561

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/FJDS20

DOI: 10.1080/00220380801980871

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Development Studies is currently edited by Howard White, Oliver Morrissey and Ken Shadlen

More articles in Journal of Development Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().