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Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- Adolescent Biology, Poverty and Risk -- Abstract -- Introduction -- The Statistics: Diverse Youth = Dramatically Better Youth -- What Lies Behind Youthful Improvements? -- Are Teenagers just "Stupid"? A Dissent -- Biology and Adolescent Development: The Modern Transition -- Juvenile Justice: An Example of Misapplied Developmental Theory -- Is This Science? -- Conclusion -- References -- Biographical Sketches -- Welfare and Change in Consumption Structure -- Abstract -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Theoretical Framework -- 3. Results and Discussion -- 3.1. Food and Tobacco Expenditures -- 3.2. Household Expenditure on Nonfoods -- 3.3. Household Income and Income Elasticity -- Conclusion -- References -- Biographical Sketch -- Transit, Automobile, and Commuting: Do the Relationships Differ across Income Groups? -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Literature Review -- Data and Methodology -- Data -- Conceptual Model -- Transit-Based and Automobile-Based Job Accessibility -- Results -- Conclusion -- References -- Structural Unemployment, Family Structure and Poverty -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Literature on Comparative Poverty -- Measuring Poverty: US vs. Poland -- Characteristics of the Poor - Age Factor -- The Elderly -- Poverty and Education -- Poverty and Disability -- Geographical Clusters of Poverty -- Unique Characteristics of the Poor - Poland vs. US -- Conclusion -- References -- Biographical Sketch -- Income Inequality, Poverty and Economic Reforms in Douala-Cameroon -- Abstract -- Introduction -- The Conceptualisation of Poverty in the City of Douala -- Sampling Procedures -- Method of Analysis -- Results and Discussions -- Income Distribution in the City of Douala -- Income Inequality and Dietary Quantity and Quality -- Income and Domestic Comfort -- Income and Health Seeking Behaviour

This book discusses critical policy issues that need to be addressed if India wishes to achieve the SDG 1 based elusive goal of ending poverty in the country. In its nine chapters, it takes the readers through trends and estimates of poverty in India, explains changes in the way it has been measured over time and the factors that lead to persistence of poverty, draws attention to the fact that hunger is both a cause and an effect of poverty and has gender and age dimensions too. The book revisits strategies that were successful in addressing poverty emanating from situations of conflict, presents a discussion on migration as a critical coping mechanism among poor, analyses the links between ill health and poverty as well as education and poverty to draw attention to the policy imperatives that need attention. India's report card on poverty remains dismal even though there is recognition of the importance of reducing or eliminating or ending it at both national and global levels. Despite rapid economic growth and improvement on a range of development indicators, an unacceptably high proportion of India's population continues to suffer poverty in multiple dimensions. SDG 1 or "ending poverty in all its forms everywhere" cannot be achieved unless policies and poverty alleviation programmes understand and address chronic poverty and its dynamics. This requires that we estimate and understand the extent of poverty, the factors that lead to people getting stuck in it and the ways this can be addressed. It also requires understanding the dynamic nature of poverty or the fact that many of those who are poor are able to move out of poverty as well as the fact that many others who are not poor become impoverished. These are the issues that are comprehensively examined and addressed in this book. In addition to students, teachers and researchers in the areas of development, economic growth, equity and welfare, the book is also of great interest to policy makers, planners and non-government agencies who are concerned with understanding and addressing poverty-related issues in the developing countries.

Este documento é uma tradução do livro publicado em português, "Pobreza e paz nos PALOP", Sextante Editora (2009), ISBN 978-989-676-007-6 ; Summarizing the political and economic evolution of Mozambique since the end of colonialism until the present time and cross-referencing it with narrations of Mozambicans who experienced these distinctive stages of the recent History of their country, this article starts with a reflection on the explanatory factors concerning the absence of historical framing and anthropological approaches in studies of poverty and an interpretation of the theoretical outlooks on which these studies are based. Some of the possible causes for the high rate of poverty registered in this country were examined and given explanation against the existence of direct link between war and poverty. In the end, the post-conflict period and some of features of the pursued policies were analyzed and the author concludes emphasizing the relevance of perceiving poverty in a contextualized manner, inserting it into the set of economic and social relations from which it is , globally and locally, a fundamental part.

A considerable part of the poverty that is measured in a single period is transitory rather than persistent. In most countries, only a portion of people who are currently poor are persistently poor. People who are persistently poor or who cycle into and out of poverty should be the main focus of anti-poverty policies. Understanding the characteristics of the persistently poor, and the circumstances and mechanisms associated with entry into and exit from poverty, can help to inform governments about options to reduce persistent poverty. Differences in poverty persistence across countries can shed additional light on possible sources of poverty persistence.

Cover Page -- Half Title Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: The Global Issue of Poverty -- 1. The Global Recession Has Caused a Slowdown in Progress Against Poverty -- 2. Global Poverty Has Decreased in Recent Years, Especially in Asia -- 3. Poverty Is Worsening in Many Countries, Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa -- 4. Most of the World's Poor Now Live in Middle-Income Countries -- 5. Income Inequality and Relative Poverty Have Risen in Industrialized Countries -- 6. The Current Measure of Poverty Is Inadequate -- Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography -- Chapter 2: The Experience of Poverty Around the World -- 1. African Poverty Is Falling . . . Much Faster than You Think -- 2. South Asia Has the Largest Concentration of Poverty in the World -- 3. China Has Made Great Strides in the Elimination of Poverty -- 4. Latin America Has Experienced a Decline in Poverty and Inequality -- 5. Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa Varies Widely -- 6. Poverty in the United States Is Greater than in Other High-Income Countries -- Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography -- Chapter 3: The Causes of Poverty -- 1. Poverty Around the World Is Caused by Government Intervention -- 2. Poverty Is Alleviated by Active Citizenship and Effective Governments -- 3. High Birth Rates and Population Growth Are Correlated with Poverty -- 4. Population Growth Is Not the Cause of Poverty -- 5. Hunger Is Both a Cause of and a Consequence of Poverty -- 6. Poverty Is Not Clearly Linked with Hunger -- Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography -- Chapter 4: Efforts to End Poverty -- 1. Foreign Aid in Africa Is Increasing Poverty -- 2. Foreign Aid in Africa Is Helping to Fight Poverty -- 3. Global Redistribution of Incomes Is a Solution to Inequality and Poverty

"Poverty has dire consequences on the ability to fulfil one's aspirations for life. Poverty has strong implications for social cohesion and societies' abilities to function in harmonious ways. This book presents the readers with the core concepts, latest development and knowledge about policies that work to eliminate absolute poverty. This volume shows what the consequences are for the quality of life of those living in poverty. It describes life for people in poverty in general, but also deals more specifically with children, in-work poverty and the elderly, thus providing a life, generational and global perspective on poverty, including the impact on people's happiness levels. The book also discusses policies aimed at poverty reduction, such as changes to the labour market - including the risk of working poor - and shows that there is a variety of possible instruments available to reduce poverty. These range from direct provision of social security to ensuring education and a better functioning labour market. Written in an engaging and accessible style, the book provides a succinct insight into the concept of poverty, how to measure it, the situation of poverty around the globe as well as different types of possible interventions to cope with poverty. Supporting theory with examples and case studies from a variety of contexts, suggestions for further reading, and a detailed glossary, this text is an essential read for anyone approaching the study of poverty for the first time"--

The conventional approach of economists to the measurement of poverty is to use measures of income or consumption. This has been challenged by those who favour broader criteria, such as fulfillment of 'basic needs' and the 'capabilities' to be and to do things of intrinsic worth. This paper asks: to what extent are these different concepts measurable, to what extent are they competing or complementary, and is it possible for them to be accommodated within an encompassing framework? We conclude that it is possible to view subjective well-being as an encompassing concept, which permits us to quantify the relevance and importance of the other approaches and of their component variables. Any attempt to define poverty involves a value judgment as to what constitutes a good quality of life or a bad one. We argue that an approach which examines the individual's own perception of well-being is less imperfect, or more quantifiable, or both, as a guide to forming that value judgement than are the other potential approaches. The argument is illustrated using a South African household survey. Adapted from the source document.

Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and the March Current Population Survey, we calculate historical poverty estimates based on the new Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) from 1967 to 2012. During this period, poverty as officially measured has stagnated. However, the official poverty measure (OPM) does not account for the effect of near-cash transfers on the financial resources available to families, an important omission since such transfers have become an increasingly important part of government anti-poverty policy. Applying the SPM, which does count such transfers, we find that historical trends in poverty have been more favorable than the OPM suggests and that government policies have played an important and growing role in reducing poverty --- a role that is not evident when the OPM is used to assess poverty. We also find that government programs have played a particularly important role in alleviating child poverty and deep poverty, especially during economic downturns.

This second edition of this highly-successful glossary provides an exhaustive and authoritative guide to over 200 technical terms used in contemporary scholarly research on poverty. It seeks to make researchers, students and policy makers aware of the multi-dimensional character of this social condition. The new edition includes a range of entries to keep pace with an expanding field of discourse, an expanded set of references and further perspectives from developing countries. A special effort has been made to incorporate non-Western approaches and concepts

AbstractUsing data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and the March Current Population Survey, we provide poverty estimates for 1967 to 2012 based on a historical supplemental poverty measure (SPM). During this period, poverty, as officially measured, has stagnated. However, the official poverty measure (OPM) does not account for the effect of near‐cash transfers on the financial resources available to families, an important omission since such transfers have become an increasingly important part of government antipoverty policy. Applying the historical SPM, which does count such transfers, we find that trends in poverty have been more favorable than the OPM suggests and that government policies have played an important and growing role in reducing poverty—a role that is not evident when the OPM is used to assess poverty. We also find that government programs have played a particularly important role in alleviating child poverty and deep poverty, especially during economic downturns.

Poverty is often defined as lacking the financial resources to meet a set of basic needs. Here I consider four questions. First, how is the relevant level of basic needs to be determined? Second, given that the possibility of satisfying basic needs is not solely determined by possession of financial resources, is poverty better understood or measured at least in part in non-financial terms? Third, what, if anything, is owed to people in poverty, and by whom? And finally, what social policies should be favoured in attempting to deal with poverty? The key message is that overcoming poverty is more than meeting needs for food and shelter, but also includes meeting the human needs for a social life and fitting in with what is commonly expected in society (overcoming relative poverty). Out of respect for all, governments have a duty to adopt policies to bring people out of poverty.

"Im Vortrag wird das theoretische Vakuum erläutert, in dem sich die Armutsforscher in den postsozialistischen Ländern befinden. Dies liegt zum einen an der geringen Vertrautheit mit den theoretischen Diskussionen im Westen, zum anderen daran, daß bei einer Ähnlichkeit äußerer Erscheinungsformen Armut in Rußland und in den Ländern mit entwickelter Marktwirtschaft sehr unterschiedlich ist und keiner einheitlicher Messung unterzogen werden kann. Unterschiedliche methodische Ansätze in Rußland selbst bedingen eine große Bandbreite des vermuteten Armutsausmaßes: zwischen acht bis 80 Prozent der Bevölkerung werden als 'arm' bezeichnet. Die verwendeten Methoden, die auf die Traditionen der sowjetischen Soziologie zurückzuführen sind, verabsolutieren quantitative Messungen. Ausführungen aus Ergebnisanalysen von Massenumfragen spiegeln dagegen die 'Parteilichkeit' der Forscher wider. Ein großer Teil der Einkommen der verschiedenen sozialen Gruppen werden weder von der Statistik erfaßt noch von den Wissenschaftern, die sich mit der Schattenwirtschaft beschäftigen. Schon aus diesem Grunde wird das Armutsausmaß sehr stark übertrieben, ganz unabhängig von den angewandten Methoden. Die meisten gegenwärtig beobachtbaren Überlebensstrategien sind mit Beschäftigungen im informellen Sektor verbunden. Dennoch wird dieser Umstand von den Soziologen ignoriert, insbesondere deshalb, weil qualitative Methoden der Sozialforschung entweder unbekannt sind oder abgelehnt werden. Die offizielle Statistik und bisherige Forschungsergebnisse ergeben völlig unangemessene Vorstellungen über Armut und folglich über soziale Ungleichheit und die sich erneuernde Sozialstruktur in der Transformationsgesellschaft. Dazu kommt, daß die Forschung durch einige etablierte Forschungsgruppen monopolisiert wird, auf deren ausgesprochen politisierter Tätigkeit das geläufige Bild über Armut in Rußland beruht. Auch die Übertragung von Modellen, die anhand der Beobachtung westlicher Gesellschaften erarbeitet wurden, wirkt sich negativ auf die Theoriebildung - und letztlich auf die politische Entscheidungsfindung - aus." (Autorenreferat)

The volumes of debate on poverty suggest that there is no unanimously agreed definition of poverty that can be applied for everyone. Poverty is a political and highly contested concept because what commentators mean by poverty depends on what they intend to do about it. Given this context, Palash Kamruzzaman explores two key aspects of global poverty reduction. First, he asks, is it really possible to understand poverty for all poor countries through a ubiquitous definition? Why has a US dollar based definition of poverty been promoted by the international aid architecture for all poor countries? Second, the author assesses to what extent such an understanding of poverty contributed to poverty reduction in poor developing countries. This is of particular significance in the final year of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially to find out more effective ways forward for poverty reduction after 2015. Taking specific country-contexts into account, Kamruzzaman argues that national poverty lines should be the benchmark for future anti-poverty policies.

AbstractThis article examines the effect of poverty volatility on poverty in developing countries. Poverty volatility refers to the amplitude of the change in poverty rates over a given period of time. Variations in poverty rates can potentially arise from countries' vulnerability to a variety of shocks that induce greater macroeconomic volatility, including economic growth volatility. The empirical analysis shows that poverty volatility consistently induces a rise in poverty rates, and this positive poverty effect of poverty volatility increases as the degree of poverty volatility rises. Policies that help reduce poverty volatility (including by dampening economic growth volatility) would contribute to poverty reduction.