ABSTRACT
Like size, definitions matter. Around the world there is widespread unease about the growth of social and economic insecurity and inequality. Whatever the causes, people look to systems of social protection to overcome the worst effects, whether the system is the informal network of family relationships or a complex web of state policies. They look to institutions to enhance their security and that of their families and communities. Thus, in analyzing globalization and changes in socioeconomic inequality, we need to be clear about changing patterns of social protection, social security, and socioeconomic security.
