Prof Armando Barrientos - research

Armando’s research interests focus on the linkages existing between social protection and labour markets in developing countries, from a persistent poverty and vulnerability perspective. He has examined critically the reform of social insurance institutions in Latin America following the Chilean pension and health reforms in the early 1980, and especially their impact on employment, informality and old age income security. The findings from that research led to research on the economic and social effects of ageing in developing countries and the role of non-contributory pension as a means to address old age poverty and vulnerability. More recently, his research has focused on social assistance in developing countries, exploring the rapid expansion of social programmes in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Armando leads the Poverty, Wellbeing, and Social Protection research programme at BWPI, including the following ongoing projects:

Ageing, wellbeing and development: A comparative study of Brazil and South Africa. This project is funded by the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme, a cross–UK funding council programme.

Insecurity, risk and vulnerability. This is a research project under the Chronic Poverty Research Centre examining the linkages existing between vulnerability and chronic poverty. See website www.chronicpoverty.org/research-themes-vulnerability.php 

Social transfers and chronic poverty. This project is supported by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre and studies the effectiveness of social transfer programmes in developing countries in addressing chronic poverty.