Dimensions of subjective poverty
The literature discusses subjective poverty mostly from two perspectives. The first considers an individual’s perception of what constitutes the necessary minimum household income to meet the ‘basic needs’ or the ability to purchase a basket of goods measured by a monetary value. This approach is usually taken to construct a subjective poverty line.
The second contends that an individual’s assessment of poverty goes beyond the financial capacity to purchase a pre-defined set of goods. Rather it comprises of economic, social, psychological, cultural and political dimensions. An individual is therefore poor when he or she experiences voicelessness, powerlessness, vulnerability, shamefulness, insecurity, or exclusion from services or insufficient financial support.
The second contends that an individual’s assessment of poverty goes beyond the financial capacity to purchase a pre-defined set of goods. Rather it comprises of economic, social, psychological, cultural and political dimensions. An individual is therefore poor when he or she experiences voicelessness, powerlessness, vulnerability, shamefulness, insecurity, or exclusion from services or insufficient financial support.
Recommended readings
- The missing dimensions of poverty data: an introduction
- ( S. Alkire / Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House), University of Oxford , 2007)
- The human development index (HDI) includes income, longevity and education. This paper contends that poverty extends beyond these domains. It explores dimensions of poverty that poor people value, bu...
- Compendium of best practices in poverty measurement
- ( Fundacao Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica , 2006)
- Measuring poverty is a complex endeavour that is complicated by data availabilities, social and political contexts, and ideology. This compendium offers a thorough discussion on best practices in pove...
- Dollar a day revisited
- ( M. Ravallion;S. Chen;P. Sangraula / World Bank , 2008)
- The dollar-a-day measure of poverty was first proposed in 1990. This paper presents the original authors’ first major update of this poverty measurement. It revisits the challenges of setting a...
- The determinants of subjective poverty: a comparative analysis in Madagascar and Peru
- ( J. Herrera; M. Razafindrakoto; F. Roubaud / Développement, Institutions & Analyses de Long terme , 2006)
- The multidimensionality of poverty has slowly become widely acknowledged. A number of studies show a weak relationship between the monetary approach to poverty and household's subjective perception of...
- Subjective well-being from a developing country perspective: anti-development in an upside down world
- ( J. Yamamoto / ESRC Research Group on Wellbeing in Developing Countries . University of Bath , 2008)
- Some argue that Northern academic tradition on subjective poverty can get very far disconnected with the reality of a developing country. This paper provides a Southern academic’s perspective on...
- The why and how of understanding 'subjective' wellbeing: exploratory work by the WeD group in four developing countries
- ( L. Camfield / ESRC Research Group on Wellbeing in Developing Countries . University of Bath , 2006)
- Wellbeing is a dynamic concept that incorporates the material, relational, and cognitive dimensions of people's lives. This paper compares mainstream, participatory and wellbeing approaches to evalua...
