On the Question of Defining the Concept of Social Protection

The purpose of the research. The article discusses the problems of defining social protection, substantiates the idea of the complexity of formulating a single definition based on variable economic paradigms. The author attempts to reveal the system of social protection on the basis of social security and social and labor relations that develop due to the need to develop and implement special measures for individuals, households in difficult life situations. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted research, the author comes to the conclusion that there is no single definition of social protection in modern domestic legislation and, in this regard, offers its definitions in an extremely broad sense as ensuring the sustainable development of an individual, family, household; in a less broad sense-as a system including social assistance, social security, social insurance, social policy and interventions in the labor market; in a narrow sense-as one of the forms of social protection. The author concludes that by their socio-economic essence, many forms of social protection are based on social security relations, at the same time there are also such forms, for example, as a social contract, which affect the system of social and labor relations. The article also concludes that social protection measures are aimed not only at combating poverty, but also at social vulnerability. In addition, the author substantiates the idea that social protection measures should form a system that covers all stages of the human life cycle through its variable types and forms.

social protection, social security, social assistance, social support, social contract, difficult life situation