In an era of rapid globalisation, how can the changes that characterise how the social question is addressed in rich and emerging countries be analysed? How can one interpret the crisis in the Welfare State and the emergence of new social policies that push for the financial contribution of beneficiaries and the development of new forms of solidarity? What can be said about the world’s poorest countries and their recurrent difficulty in benefiting from international aid to fight against poverty and ensure the protection of all people?

This volume brings together 24 researchers from around the world to analyse a series of case studies of developed, emerging and developing countries. They study the evolution or decline observed in these countries and propose some answers to the issue of the way in which the economic model influences how the social question is taken into account around the world. A closer look reveals that the manner in which this question is addressed largely determines how the evolution of the world is perceived. While the contributors here highlight how capitalism makes it possible to reflect on the issue of social protection, they also show the limits of policies unable to guarantee this protection as soon as the economic situation can no longer allow countries to bear its costs.