Description: Social Democracy in the Global Periphery focuses on social-democratic regimes in the developing world that have, to varying degrees, reconciled the needs of achieving growth through globalized markets with extensions of political, social and economic rights. The authors show that opportunities exist to achieve significant social progress, despite a global economic order that favours core industrial countries. Their findings derive from a comparative analysis of four exemplary cases: Kerala (India), Costa Rica, Mauritius and Chile (since 1990). Though unusual, the social and political conditions from which these developing-world social democracies arose are not unique; indeed, pragmatic and proactive social-democratic movements helped create these favourable conditions. The four exemplars have preserved or even improved their social achievements since neoliberalism emerged hegemonic in the 1980s. This demonstrates that certain social-democratic policies and practices - guided by a democratic developmental state - can enhance a national economy's global competitiveness.
Brief description: Marc Edelman is Professor of Anthropology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York.
Review Quotes: "This impressive collaborative effort crosses disciplinary and regional boundaries to knock the conventional wisdom that globalization has made social democracy impossible on the periphery back on its heels. Grounding their analysis on four fascinating cases that span the globe, the four authors make a compelling case for the possibility of peripheral social democracy. Their book should be required reading for policy-makers and scholars alike."
Peter Evans, University of California, Berkeley