Alberto Minujin and Shailen Nandy (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
Child poverty is a central and present part of global life, with hundreds of millions of children around the world enduring tremendous suffering and deprivation of their most basic needs. Despite its ...
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Child poverty is a central and present part of global life, with hundreds of millions of children around the world enduring tremendous suffering and deprivation of their most basic needs. Despite its long history, research on poverty and development has only relatively recently examined the issue of child poverty as a distinct topic of concern. This book brings together theoretical, methodological and policy-relevant contributions by leading researchers on international child poverty. With a preface from Sir Richard Jolly, Former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, it examines how child poverty and well-being are now conceptualized, defined and measured, and presents regional and national level portraits of child poverty around the world, in rich, middle income and poor countries. The book's ultimate objective is to promote and influence policy, action and the research agenda to address one of the world's great ongoing tragedies: child poverty, marginalization and inequality.Less
Child poverty is a central and present part of global life, with hundreds of millions of children around the world enduring tremendous suffering and deprivation of their most basic needs. Despite its long history, research on poverty and development has only relatively recently examined the issue of child poverty as a distinct topic of concern. This book brings together theoretical, methodological and policy-relevant contributions by leading researchers on international child poverty. With a preface from Sir Richard Jolly, Former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, it examines how child poverty and well-being are now conceptualized, defined and measured, and presents regional and national level portraits of child poverty around the world, in rich, middle income and poor countries. The book's ultimate objective is to promote and influence policy, action and the research agenda to address one of the world's great ongoing tragedies: child poverty, marginalization and inequality.
John Hills
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199276646
- eISBN:
- 9780191601644
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199276641.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare
Examines trends in poverty and in wider indicators of deprivation and social exclusion in the UK. Discusses different ways of measuring the extent of poverty. Presents trends in the numbers with low ...
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Examines trends in poverty and in wider indicators of deprivation and social exclusion in the UK. Discusses different ways of measuring the extent of poverty. Presents trends in the numbers with low incomes, progress towards the abolition of child poverty in a generation as promised by Tony Blair in 1999, and evidence on the depth of poverty. Discusses the concepts of ‘social inclusion’ and ‘social exclusion’ and shows quite how poor Britain’s record on deprivation and exclusion had become in international terms by the mid-1990s. Presents attitudes survey evidence on what the public as a whole thinks about poverty, shedding light on which measures resonate with the public and how great they think the problems are.Less
Examines trends in poverty and in wider indicators of deprivation and social exclusion in the UK. Discusses different ways of measuring the extent of poverty. Presents trends in the numbers with low incomes, progress towards the abolition of child poverty in a generation as promised by Tony Blair in 1999, and evidence on the depth of poverty. Discusses the concepts of ‘social inclusion’ and ‘social exclusion’ and shows quite how poor Britain’s record on deprivation and exclusion had become in international terms by the mid-1990s. Presents attitudes survey evidence on what the public as a whole thinks about poverty, shedding light on which measures resonate with the public and how great they think the problems are.
John Hills
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199276646
- eISBN:
- 9780191601644
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199276641.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare
Analyses the impact of changes in tax and social security policy since the New Labour government came into office in the UK in May 1997. Looks at the challenges the Blair government faced in 1997 and ...
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Analyses the impact of changes in tax and social security policy since the New Labour government came into office in the UK in May 1997. Looks at the challenges the Blair government faced in 1997 and at what has been new about ‘New’ Labour policies since then. Outlines the key features of these policies, looking in turn at those connected with labour markets, incomes, social exclusion, and public spending. Examines what we know so far about the outcomes of these policies in terms of recent trends in poverty, inequality, and social exclusion, and at what modelling evidence suggests their impact will be, particularly on rates of poverty.Less
Analyses the impact of changes in tax and social security policy since the New Labour government came into office in the UK in May 1997. Looks at the challenges the Blair government faced in 1997 and at what has been new about ‘New’ Labour policies since then. Outlines the key features of these policies, looking in turn at those connected with labour markets, incomes, social exclusion, and public spending. Examines what we know so far about the outcomes of these policies in terms of recent trends in poverty, inequality, and social exclusion, and at what modelling evidence suggests their impact will be, particularly on rates of poverty.
Isabelle Maquet-Engsted
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
Chapter 9 describes the indicators and the analytical framework used to analyse child poverty in the European Union. Comparative analysis is used to identify the main drivers of monetary poverty ...
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Chapter 9 describes the indicators and the analytical framework used to analyse child poverty in the European Union. Comparative analysis is used to identify the main drivers of monetary poverty among families with children in the rich EU countries. It reveals that different factors prevail across countries of the Europe Union depending on how well parents are integrated in the labour market, and how much support is available to families with children. The indicators used are those that have been developed and agreed upon in support of the EU policy coordination process in the field of social inclusion policy. The chapter discussed the potential value added of politically agreed indicators and comparative analytical frameworks for evidenced based policy making.Less
Chapter 9 describes the indicators and the analytical framework used to analyse child poverty in the European Union. Comparative analysis is used to identify the main drivers of monetary poverty among families with children in the rich EU countries. It reveals that different factors prevail across countries of the Europe Union depending on how well parents are integrated in the labour market, and how much support is available to families with children. The indicators used are those that have been developed and agreed upon in support of the EU policy coordination process in the field of social inclusion policy. The chapter discussed the potential value added of politically agreed indicators and comparative analytical frameworks for evidenced based policy making.
Duncan Lindsey (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195305449
- eISBN:
- 9780199894291
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305449.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
One of the United States' great promises is that all children will be given the opportunity to work in order to achieve a comfortable standard of living. That promise has faded profoundly for ...
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One of the United States' great promises is that all children will be given the opportunity to work in order to achieve a comfortable standard of living. That promise has faded profoundly for American children who have grown up in poverty, particularly black and Hispanic children, and many of the deepening fault lines in the social order are traceable to this disparity. In recent years the promise has also begun to fade for children of the American middle class. Education and hard work, once steady paths to economic success, no longer lead as far as they once did. But that does not have to be the case, as this volume shows. America can provide true opportunity to all its children, insuring them against a lifetime of inequality; and when it does, the walls dividing the country by race, ethnicity, and wealth will begin to crumble. Long a voice for combating child poverty, the author takes a balanced approach that begins with a history of economic and family policy, from the Great Depression and the development of Social Security, and moving onward. He details the extent of economic inequality in the U.S., pointing out that this wealthiest of countries also has the largest proportion of children living in poverty. Calling for reform, the author proposes several viable universal income-security policies for vulnerable children and families, strategies that have worked in other advanced democracies and which also respect the importance of the market economy. They aim not just to reduce child poverty, but also to give all children meaningful economic opportunity. Just as Social Security alleviates the sting of poverty in old age, asset-building policies can insulate children from the cumulative effects of disadvantage and provide them with a strong foundation from which to soar.Less
One of the United States' great promises is that all children will be given the opportunity to work in order to achieve a comfortable standard of living. That promise has faded profoundly for American children who have grown up in poverty, particularly black and Hispanic children, and many of the deepening fault lines in the social order are traceable to this disparity. In recent years the promise has also begun to fade for children of the American middle class. Education and hard work, once steady paths to economic success, no longer lead as far as they once did. But that does not have to be the case, as this volume shows. America can provide true opportunity to all its children, insuring them against a lifetime of inequality; and when it does, the walls dividing the country by race, ethnicity, and wealth will begin to crumble. Long a voice for combating child poverty, the author takes a balanced approach that begins with a history of economic and family policy, from the Great Depression and the development of Social Security, and moving onward. He details the extent of economic inequality in the U.S., pointing out that this wealthiest of countries also has the largest proportion of children living in poverty. Calling for reform, the author proposes several viable universal income-security policies for vulnerable children and families, strategies that have worked in other advanced democracies and which also respect the importance of the market economy. They aim not just to reduce child poverty, but also to give all children meaningful economic opportunity. Just as Social Security alleviates the sting of poverty in old age, asset-building policies can insulate children from the cumulative effects of disadvantage and provide them with a strong foundation from which to soar.
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195136715
- eISBN:
- 9780199894079
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195136715.003.0009
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter analyzes the distribution of resources in the U.S. and other industrialized market economies, identifying those economic and social assumptions that drive our free market system. America ...
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This chapter analyzes the distribution of resources in the U.S. and other industrialized market economies, identifying those economic and social assumptions that drive our free market system. America is a rich and bountiful country with enough resources to provide for all its citizens. Its free market capitalist system has produced enormous wealth. Yet, in spite of this great wealth there is also great poverty. One of the key reasons for this poverty is the vast political and economic inequality, which creates a condition in which the least powerful are the ones most vulnerable — in this instance, the children of single parents.Less
This chapter analyzes the distribution of resources in the U.S. and other industrialized market economies, identifying those economic and social assumptions that drive our free market system. America is a rich and bountiful country with enough resources to provide for all its citizens. Its free market capitalist system has produced enormous wealth. Yet, in spite of this great wealth there is also great poverty. One of the key reasons for this poverty is the vast political and economic inequality, which creates a condition in which the least powerful are the ones most vulnerable — in this instance, the children of single parents.
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195136715
- eISBN:
- 9780199894079
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195136715.003.0011
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter examines the effects of the most important event affecting poor children in the last several decades: the welfare reform of 1996. It is now possible to examine the consequences of this ...
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This chapter examines the effects of the most important event affecting poor children in the last several decades: the welfare reform of 1996. It is now possible to examine the consequences of this reform for children. Proponents of the reform herald the dramatic drop in the welfare caseload. In most states, the number of children receiving welfare has been cut in half. Several states have achieved a more than three-quarters reduction. What has been the consequence of this dramatic end of welfare as we know it? The chapter looks at the economic circumstance of poor children post-welfare reform.Less
This chapter examines the effects of the most important event affecting poor children in the last several decades: the welfare reform of 1996. It is now possible to examine the consequences of this reform for children. Proponents of the reform herald the dramatic drop in the welfare caseload. In most states, the number of children receiving welfare has been cut in half. Several states have achieved a more than three-quarters reduction. What has been the consequence of this dramatic end of welfare as we know it? The chapter looks at the economic circumstance of poor children post-welfare reform.
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195305449
- eISBN:
- 9780199894291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305449.003.0005
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter examines the impact of welfare reform on child poverty a dozen years after its enactment. It shows that there are more children in poverty, more children receiving food stamps, more ...
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This chapter examines the impact of welfare reform on child poverty a dozen years after its enactment. It shows that there are more children in poverty, more children receiving food stamps, more children receiving federally subsidized free lunches (even controlling for population changes) than prior to welfare reform. Although the architects of welfare reform have argued that it has been successful, particularly in reducing child poverty, the empirical data in the chapter suggest just the opposite: child poverty and the economic situation of poor children has grown worse.Less
This chapter examines the impact of welfare reform on child poverty a dozen years after its enactment. It shows that there are more children in poverty, more children receiving food stamps, more children receiving federally subsidized free lunches (even controlling for population changes) than prior to welfare reform. Although the architects of welfare reform have argued that it has been successful, particularly in reducing child poverty, the empirical data in the chapter suggest just the opposite: child poverty and the economic situation of poor children has grown worse.
Ernesto Espíndola Advis and María Nieves Rico
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.003.0016
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
Measurements of poverty in terms of the principles of access to, and exercise of, a specific number of rights in areas like nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, education and ...
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Measurements of poverty in terms of the principles of access to, and exercise of, a specific number of rights in areas like nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, education and information show that 32 million children in Latin America were living in extreme poverty in 2007, and that the overall number of persons in poverty stood at almost 81 million. The chapter presents data on child poverty in Latin America, but explicitly measures it with a rights approach. This means considering children to be poor when at least one of their rights is unmet, or when they suffer at least one basic deprivation. Nonetheless, in child poverty, multiple deprivations occur simultaneously, reinforcing each other andundermining children's and adolescents’ development. The chapter reports findings from a study which measured child poverty using two traditional methodologies: (i) direct methods (unmet basic needs), which were adapted to measure several levels of deprivation among children, based on the proposal by the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics; and (ii) indirect methods, represented by the measurement of absolute poverty according to per capita household income. It also presents data sources, methodology and aggregation indexes (appendix).Less
Measurements of poverty in terms of the principles of access to, and exercise of, a specific number of rights in areas like nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, education and information show that 32 million children in Latin America were living in extreme poverty in 2007, and that the overall number of persons in poverty stood at almost 81 million. The chapter presents data on child poverty in Latin America, but explicitly measures it with a rights approach. This means considering children to be poor when at least one of their rights is unmet, or when they suffer at least one basic deprivation. Nonetheless, in child poverty, multiple deprivations occur simultaneously, reinforcing each other andundermining children's and adolescents’ development. The chapter reports findings from a study which measured child poverty using two traditional methodologies: (i) direct methods (unmet basic needs), which were adapted to measure several levels of deprivation among children, based on the proposal by the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics; and (ii) indirect methods, represented by the measurement of absolute poverty according to per capita household income. It also presents data sources, methodology and aggregation indexes (appendix).
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195305449
- eISBN:
- 9780199894291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305449.003.0002
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter examines the current situation of child poverty in the United States. Two major factors define child poverty: single parenthood, and race and ethnicity. The United Nations recently ...
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This chapter examines the current situation of child poverty in the United States. Two major factors define child poverty: single parenthood, and race and ethnicity. The United Nations recently reported that the United States had the highest child poverty rate among more than 30 industrialized nations studied. This is difficult to believe, given the fact that the United States is the wealthiest nation in the world. How could the wealthiest nation in the world have the highest child poverty rate? The answer, of course, is that the United States has what can best be described as two worlds of childhood. The highest rate of poverty is found among African-American and Latino children — several times higher than that found among White and Asian children. The poverty these children endure is often debilitating. The restrictions of opportunity that begin in the earliest years are carried into adolescence and young adulthood. As a consequence, the opportunity of getting a college education is out of reach for most children raised in the other world of poverty. The likelihood of getting a four-year college degree is less than 1 in 15 for children coming from poor families. The chapter explores the very different opportunity structures that exist in the two different worlds of childhood. It also examines the role of standardized testing in restricting the opportunities of poor and low-income children.Less
This chapter examines the current situation of child poverty in the United States. Two major factors define child poverty: single parenthood, and race and ethnicity. The United Nations recently reported that the United States had the highest child poverty rate among more than 30 industrialized nations studied. This is difficult to believe, given the fact that the United States is the wealthiest nation in the world. How could the wealthiest nation in the world have the highest child poverty rate? The answer, of course, is that the United States has what can best be described as two worlds of childhood. The highest rate of poverty is found among African-American and Latino children — several times higher than that found among White and Asian children. The poverty these children endure is often debilitating. The restrictions of opportunity that begin in the earliest years are carried into adolescence and young adulthood. As a consequence, the opportunity of getting a college education is out of reach for most children raised in the other world of poverty. The likelihood of getting a four-year college degree is less than 1 in 15 for children coming from poor families. The chapter explores the very different opportunity structures that exist in the two different worlds of childhood. It also examines the role of standardized testing in restricting the opportunities of poor and low-income children.
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195305449
- eISBN:
- 9780199894291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305449.003.0007
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter argues that we need to embrace the mechanism that makes wealth possible — capitalism — and the opportunity and prosperity it provides. More importantly, we need to ensure that all ...
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This chapter argues that we need to embrace the mechanism that makes wealth possible — capitalism — and the opportunity and prosperity it provides. More importantly, we need to ensure that all children have an opportunity to participate in wealth ownership, which is the heart of capitalism. We need to embrace an “assets-based” approach to ending child poverty. Central to this approach is providing all children with the resources and opportunity to accumulate wealth. The main program that would allow this is a progressive child savings account.Less
This chapter argues that we need to embrace the mechanism that makes wealth possible — capitalism — and the opportunity and prosperity it provides. More importantly, we need to ensure that all children have an opportunity to participate in wealth ownership, which is the heart of capitalism. We need to embrace an “assets-based” approach to ending child poverty. Central to this approach is providing all children with the resources and opportunity to accumulate wealth. The main program that would allow this is a progressive child savings account.
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195136715
- eISBN:
- 9780199894079
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195136715.003.0010
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter traces the rise of the modern welfare system in the United States, and the causes that led to the continued high rates of welfare up to the end of the 20th century. It examines the ...
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This chapter traces the rise of the modern welfare system in the United States, and the causes that led to the continued high rates of welfare up to the end of the 20th century. It examines the conservative arguments against welfare which led ultimately to its reform and, some say, its essential end. Many of the changes began in the late 1960s but continue even today. It is shown that although the welfare program designed to provide income assistance to poor children has been reformed and largely dismantled, the social and economic conditions it was designed to address are still present.Less
This chapter traces the rise of the modern welfare system in the United States, and the causes that led to the continued high rates of welfare up to the end of the 20th century. It examines the conservative arguments against welfare which led ultimately to its reform and, some say, its essential end. Many of the changes began in the late 1960s but continue even today. It is shown that although the welfare program designed to provide income assistance to poor children has been reformed and largely dismantled, the social and economic conditions it was designed to address are still present.
Pat Thane and Tanya Evans
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199578504
- eISBN:
- 9780191741838
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199578504.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
Questions how much changed and why. Most changes were from the later 1960s: liberal legislation (e.g., divorce reform, legal abortion), the pill, increased divorce, open cohabitation, births outside ...
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Questions how much changed and why. Most changes were from the later 1960s: liberal legislation (e.g., divorce reform, legal abortion), the pill, increased divorce, open cohabitation, births outside marriage, fewer marriages. End of family secrecy and more public tolerance, but intolerance remained in some circles, reacting against ‘permissiveness’. Emphasis in public and policy discourse on lone mothers, rather than unmarried mothers because there was increased divorce and separation. The ‘rediscovery of poverty’ and new campaigns about family poverty. Unmarried mothers still poorest and NC continued to prioritize them, though it changed its name in 1973 to the National Council for One Parent Families (OPF) in response to needs of other single parents. The limits to change: the experiences of lone mothers and attitudes to them still diverse.Less
Questions how much changed and why. Most changes were from the later 1960s: liberal legislation (e.g., divorce reform, legal abortion), the pill, increased divorce, open cohabitation, births outside marriage, fewer marriages. End of family secrecy and more public tolerance, but intolerance remained in some circles, reacting against ‘permissiveness’. Emphasis in public and policy discourse on lone mothers, rather than unmarried mothers because there was increased divorce and separation. The ‘rediscovery of poverty’ and new campaigns about family poverty. Unmarried mothers still poorest and NC continued to prioritize them, though it changed its name in 1973 to the National Council for One Parent Families (OPF) in response to needs of other single parents. The limits to change: the experiences of lone mothers and attitudes to them still diverse.
Jo Boyden and Elizabeth Cooper
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199557547
- eISBN:
- 9780191721083
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199557547.003.0013
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter addresses the question of whether studies of resilience are useful for research and practice concerning children's poverty and the life course and intergenerational transmission of ...
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This chapter addresses the question of whether studies of resilience are useful for research and practice concerning children's poverty and the life course and intergenerational transmission of poverty. Based on a review of the increasing exercise of the resilience concept in various fields of research, it is argued that resilience has not yet been demonstrated as a valid analytical tool for poverty research. So far resilience has achieved neither a sufficiently functional definition nor a credible theory by which to identify its existence.Less
This chapter addresses the question of whether studies of resilience are useful for research and practice concerning children's poverty and the life course and intergenerational transmission of poverty. Based on a review of the increasing exercise of the resilience concept in various fields of research, it is argued that resilience has not yet been demonstrated as a valid analytical tool for poverty research. So far resilience has achieved neither a sufficiently functional definition nor a credible theory by which to identify its existence.
David Gordon and Shailen Nandy
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
The chapter describes how relative deprivation theory can be used to produce valid and reliable estimates of the extent and nature of child poverty both within and between countries. A worked example ...
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The chapter describes how relative deprivation theory can be used to produce valid and reliable estimates of the extent and nature of child poverty both within and between countries. A worked example using data from Mexico is provided to show how the methodology can be used to produce scientific estimates of poverty which conform to national standards. The chapter also examines the practical and theoretical problems of adapting three commonly-used poverty measurement methods (World Bank's ‘dollar-a-day’, the Wealth/Asset Index and the recent UNDP's Multidimensional Poverty method) to study the child poverty.Less
The chapter describes how relative deprivation theory can be used to produce valid and reliable estimates of the extent and nature of child poverty both within and between countries. A worked example using data from Mexico is provided to show how the methodology can be used to produce scientific estimates of poverty which conform to national standards. The chapter also examines the practical and theoretical problems of adapting three commonly-used poverty measurement methods (World Bank's ‘dollar-a-day’, the Wealth/Asset Index and the recent UNDP's Multidimensional Poverty method) to study the child poverty.
Sabina Alkire and José Manuel Roche
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This chapter presents a new approach to child poverty measurement that reflects the breadth and components of child poverty. The Alkire and Foster method seeks to answer the question ‘who is poor’ by ...
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This chapter presents a new approach to child poverty measurement that reflects the breadth and components of child poverty. The Alkire and Foster method seeks to answer the question ‘who is poor’ by considering the intensity of each child's poverty. Once children are identified as poor, the measures aggregate information on poor children's deprivations in a way that can be broken down to see where and how children are poor. The resulting measures go beyond the headcount by taking into account the breadth, depth or severity of dimensions of child poverty. The chapter illustrates one way to apply this method to child poverty measurement, using Bangladeshi data from four rounds of the Demographic Health Survey (1997–2007). We argue that child poverty should not be assessed only according to the incidence of poverty but also by the intensity of deprivations that batter poor children's lives at the same time.Less
This chapter presents a new approach to child poverty measurement that reflects the breadth and components of child poverty. The Alkire and Foster method seeks to answer the question ‘who is poor’ by considering the intensity of each child's poverty. Once children are identified as poor, the measures aggregate information on poor children's deprivations in a way that can be broken down to see where and how children are poor. The resulting measures go beyond the headcount by taking into account the breadth, depth or severity of dimensions of child poverty. The chapter illustrates one way to apply this method to child poverty measurement, using Bangladeshi data from four rounds of the Demographic Health Survey (1997–2007). We argue that child poverty should not be assessed only according to the incidence of poverty but also by the intensity of deprivations that batter poor children's lives at the same time.
Duncan Lindsey
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195305449
- eISBN:
- 9780199894291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305449.003.0006
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Social Policy
This chapter examines the limitations and flaws of the welfare program, and suggests different approaches to solving child poverty that have been used in most of the other industrialized nations of ...
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This chapter examines the limitations and flaws of the welfare program, and suggests different approaches to solving child poverty that have been used in most of the other industrialized nations of Europe, Australia, and elsewhere. The two central approaches to reducing child poverty that have been used in most other industrialized nations are effective child support collection and a progressive children's allowance. The United States has among the worst record in the world in terms of assuring child support collection. This problem is particularly important for poor and low-income children. If the United States were to adopt child support collection approaches used in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, it could cut child poverty rates in half. Furthermore, if the United States were to adopt a progressive children's allowance as is found in most other countries, it could further substantially cut child poverty.Less
This chapter examines the limitations and flaws of the welfare program, and suggests different approaches to solving child poverty that have been used in most of the other industrialized nations of Europe, Australia, and elsewhere. The two central approaches to reducing child poverty that have been used in most other industrialized nations are effective child support collection and a progressive children's allowance. The United States has among the worst record in the world in terms of assuring child support collection. This problem is particularly important for poor and low-income children. If the United States were to adopt child support collection approaches used in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, it could cut child poverty rates in half. Furthermore, if the United States were to adopt a progressive children's allowance as is found in most other countries, it could further substantially cut child poverty.
Kenneth A. Armstrong
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199278374
- eISBN:
- 9780191594861
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278374.003.0004
- Subject:
- Law, EU Law
The Lisbon strategy was relaunched in 2005 and with it three strands of social policy coordination — social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care — were streamlined into a single process. ...
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The Lisbon strategy was relaunched in 2005 and with it three strands of social policy coordination — social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care — were streamlined into a single process. This chapter explores the implications of changes at the policy and governance levels for the development of EU interventions to combat poverty and social exclusion. Particular attention is paid to the capacity of the process to prioritize certain thematic areas like child poverty and to develop statistical and analytical capacity as a means of strengthening policy analysis. Tensions between a ‘multidimensional’ understanding of social exclusion and an increasing focus on active inclusion through the labour market are highlighted. Significant constitutional change — in terms of the negotiation and adoption of the Constitutional Treaty — also framed EU social policy, highlighting ambiguities both as to the role of the OMC in EU governance and commitments to ‘social Europe’.Less
The Lisbon strategy was relaunched in 2005 and with it three strands of social policy coordination — social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care — were streamlined into a single process. This chapter explores the implications of changes at the policy and governance levels for the development of EU interventions to combat poverty and social exclusion. Particular attention is paid to the capacity of the process to prioritize certain thematic areas like child poverty and to develop statistical and analytical capacity as a means of strengthening policy analysis. Tensions between a ‘multidimensional’ understanding of social exclusion and an increasing focus on active inclusion through the labour market are highlighted. Significant constitutional change — in terms of the negotiation and adoption of the Constitutional Treaty — also framed EU social policy, highlighting ambiguities both as to the role of the OMC in EU governance and commitments to ‘social Europe’.
Alberto Minujin and Enrique Delamonica
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.003.0011
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
Tanzania has traditionally been an egalitarian society. However, the debt crisis of the 1980s and the ensuing adjustment policies period proved detrimental to equity. The economic recovery recently ...
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Tanzania has traditionally been an egalitarian society. However, the debt crisis of the 1980s and the ensuing adjustment policies period proved detrimental to equity. The economic recovery recently enjoyed by Tanzania has not resulted in a significant reduction of income poverty. While there has been progress in some social indicators it has been unconscionably slow for many dimensions of well-being. These observations call for a deeper analysis of the characteristics of poverty and disparities, moving beyond income poverty and income distribution. Thus, this chapter approaches the issue from the perspective of child poverty and its characteristics. Using a multidimensional approach, the analysis is centered on the depth and severity of child poverty and on the changes between 1999 and 2004/5. The sensitivity analysis indicates the estimation of child poverty is robust to changes in thresholds of various dimensions of deprivation. The analysis of the evidence gives indications on how to pursue effective policies that could improve the situation of children, especially girls, not only in education and nutrition but in the other dimensions as well.Less
Tanzania has traditionally been an egalitarian society. However, the debt crisis of the 1980s and the ensuing adjustment policies period proved detrimental to equity. The economic recovery recently enjoyed by Tanzania has not resulted in a significant reduction of income poverty. While there has been progress in some social indicators it has been unconscionably slow for many dimensions of well-being. These observations call for a deeper analysis of the characteristics of poverty and disparities, moving beyond income poverty and income distribution. Thus, this chapter approaches the issue from the perspective of child poverty and its characteristics. Using a multidimensional approach, the analysis is centered on the depth and severity of child poverty and on the changes between 1999 and 2004/5. The sensitivity analysis indicates the estimation of child poverty is robust to changes in thresholds of various dimensions of deprivation. The analysis of the evidence gives indications on how to pursue effective policies that could improve the situation of children, especially girls, not only in education and nutrition but in the other dimensions as well.
Keetie Roelen and Franziska Gassmann
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424822
- eISBN:
- 9781447307235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424822.003.0013
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
Following widespread acknowledgement that children deserve a child-focused perspective in the development and poverty reduction process worldwide, the construction and use of child poverty approaches ...
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Following widespread acknowledgement that children deserve a child-focused perspective in the development and poverty reduction process worldwide, the construction and use of child poverty approaches has received increasing attention over the last decade. This chapter uses a multidimensional and child-specific approach for the measurement of child poverty in Vietnam. Conceptually, this chapter explicitly illustrates the choices and decisions inherent to constructing a sound and solid approach. Although they have strong implications for concurrent outcomes, they are often not explicitly discussed. Such choices include the formulation of the rationale and purpose of the approach, the establishment of its conceptual framework and selection of domains and indicators. Empirically, findings highlight that water and sanitation, leisure and shelter as the most pressing areas for children in Vietnam, and that poverty referring to shelter and water and sanitation are most closely related. Furthermore, there are large differences between children living in urban and rural areas, and between children living in different regions. The direction of regional disparities might differ, however, depending on the indicator or domain under consideration. In sum, we consider the multidimensional child poverty approach for Vietnam to be an important tool for policy making and academic research. It fills a knowledge gap in Vietnam and sets an example for the development of other country-specific child poverty approaches.Less
Following widespread acknowledgement that children deserve a child-focused perspective in the development and poverty reduction process worldwide, the construction and use of child poverty approaches has received increasing attention over the last decade. This chapter uses a multidimensional and child-specific approach for the measurement of child poverty in Vietnam. Conceptually, this chapter explicitly illustrates the choices and decisions inherent to constructing a sound and solid approach. Although they have strong implications for concurrent outcomes, they are often not explicitly discussed. Such choices include the formulation of the rationale and purpose of the approach, the establishment of its conceptual framework and selection of domains and indicators. Empirically, findings highlight that water and sanitation, leisure and shelter as the most pressing areas for children in Vietnam, and that poverty referring to shelter and water and sanitation are most closely related. Furthermore, there are large differences between children living in urban and rural areas, and between children living in different regions. The direction of regional disparities might differ, however, depending on the indicator or domain under consideration. In sum, we consider the multidimensional child poverty approach for Vietnam to be an important tool for policy making and academic research. It fills a knowledge gap in Vietnam and sets an example for the development of other country-specific child poverty approaches.
