Informal third-party actors in street-level welfare decisions : A case study of Pakistan social assistance

Journal article


Farwa, Aniqa and Henman, Paul. (2023). Informal third-party actors in street-level welfare decisions : A case study of Pakistan social assistance. Journal of Social Policy. pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279423000405
AuthorsFarwa, Aniqa and Henman, Paul
Abstract

Research on street-level bureaucracy has tended to focus on individual and organisational factors that influence street-level practice. To date, empirical research has insufficiently explored the contribution of wider socio-cultural factors in street-level decision making. Drawing on data from a qualitative study of social assistance in Pakistan, this article examines how cultural patronage practices of sifarish intersect with street-level social welfare operations. Results highlight the importance of sifarish in informing decision-making processes and in enabling access to social assistance. In this manner, people providing sifarish (called sifarishie) operate as informal third-party actors. The findings challenge the dominant view of street-level operation that the decision making at street level is solely guided by individual and organisational factors.

Keywordsstreet-level bureaucracy; culture; informal third parties; sifarish; Pakistan; social assistance
Year2023
JournalJournal of Social Policy
Journal citationpp. 1-18
PublisherCambridge University Press
ISSN1469-7823
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279423000405
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85173475669
Web address (URL)https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-social-policy/article/informal-thirdparty-actors-in-streetlevel-welfare-decisions-a-case-study-of-pakistan-social-assistance/C325B9EDCB23FAD339C000483973D48F
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range1-18
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusIn press
Publication dates
Online26 Sep 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted06 Aug 2023
Deposited24 Nov 2023
Additional information

© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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License: CC BY 4.0
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