International Journal of Comparative Sociology

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Register here to gain access to SAGE's 500+ Journals Online

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Wahl, A.-M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Vol. 35, No. 1-2, 59-81 (1994)
DOI: 10.1177/002071529403500104

Economic Development and Social Security in Mexico, 1945-1985

A Time-Series Analysis

Ana-Maria Wahl

Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska, Oldfather Hall, Lincoln NE 68588

Debate persists about the relationship between economic development and the development of the welfare state in Third World countries. The expansion of social security in Mexico in the context of debt crisis presents a historical puzzle that challenges many theoretical expectations. In light of this puzzle, this study re-evaluates and compares the determinants of economic develop ment and social security coverage through a time-series analysis of post-revolutionary Mexico. The analysis generates three important findings. First, the determinants of economic development and social security coverage differ considerably. Second, these differences suggest that the depen dent development perspective may adequately account for the dynamics of economic development but does not adequately theorize the development of social security. Rather, a political struggle model which emphasizes the role of social protest as an impetus to welfare reform receives support in the Mexican case. Both strikes and opposition party politics have a positive effect on social security coverage, even in the context of economic constraints. Finally, this study indicates that the dynamics of economic development and social security politics vary significantly across time. The need for historically specific studies of development is further suggested by these findings.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?