A Fragile Society: the Genesis, Meaning and Costs of Social Policy

Abstract

The subject of the study is the causes and nature of the functioning of social policy as a risk management system. The article discusses the emergence of practices of redistribution of wealth to solve political, economic, social and moral problems and the features of the implementation of these practices. The social policy of the ancient world is studied, aimed at managing the risks associated with solidarity and the stability of the hierarchy. The influence of the three Abrahamic religions is considered, which led to the fact that social support received the character of the fulfillment of religious prescriptions. The risks that arose in the industrial era, that is, the risk of social stability and economic slowdown due to the insolvency of large groups of the population, and then the risk of refusal of economic activity of social assistance recipients, are analyzed. The importance of social policy regulation increases with the complexity of the economy and democratization. On one hand, a developed social policy protects individuals from the risks of disability and economic instability. On the other hand, due to the aging of the population, the costs of social policy increase, which itself becomes a source of risk, since its reduction turns out to be politically unacceptable. This feature is complicated by the coexistence of a number of historical features of social support systems and their perception based on a unique combination of ethical and economic premises.