Inequalities and social policies. Inter-sectional analysis of the Cuban context 2008-2018

Abstract

Introduction. The study of inequalities and their relationship with policies during the decade 2008-2018 is located in the context of the process of updating of the Cuban economic and social model. It is assumed the relational, multidimensional, contextualized and complex character of inequalities, from an inter and transdisciplinary perspective. Methods. It was used a mixed research approach with triangulation design, the sources were obtained from the systematization of 366 researches, statistics, documents and official reports corresponding to the period. Eleven databases were built for the qualitative-quantitative analysis of equity dimensions, one for inter-sectional analysis and another for the relationship between policies and equity, using Excel and SPSS version 20.0. The inter-sectional analysis of inequalities is carried out and integrated and inter-sectoral approaches to address multiple inequalities are proposed. Results. The diagnosis of existing social inequalities and inequities in different dimensions - gender, skin color, age, social class, disability, territory, rurality - and areas - economic, housing/habitat, social and cultural participation -, the intersections between them, advantageous and disadvantageous positions, the effects of policies on inequalities, and policies to promote equity and social justice from an inter-sectional approach. Conclusions: The study provides a novel perspective on inequalities and the policies that affect them, and a vision of the population sectors, with a universalism approach that is more sensitive to differences, which is especially important for managing emergency situations, such as the impact of COVID-19.