Poverty and inequality remain at the top of the global economic agenda, and the methodology of measuring poverty continues to be a key area of research. This new book, from a leading international group of scholars, offers an up to date and innovative survey of new methods for estimating poverty at the local level, as well as the most recent multidimensional methods of the dynamics of poverty.
It is argued here that measures of poverty and inequality are most useful to policy-makers and researchers when they are finely disaggregated into small geographic units. Poverty and Social Exclusion: New Methods of Analysis is the first attempt to compile the most recent research results on local estimates of multidimensional deprivation. The methods offered here take both traditional and multidimensional approaches, with a focus on using the methodology for the construction of time-related measures of deprivation at the individual and aggregated levels. In analysis of persistence over time, the book also explores whether the level of deprivation is defined in terms of relative inequality in society, or in relation to some supposedly absolute standard.
This book is of particular importance as the continuing international economic and financial crisis has led to the impoverishment of segments of population as a result of unemployment, bankruptcy, and difficulties in obtaining credit. The volume will therefore be of interest to all those working on economic, econometric and statistical methods and empirical analyses in the areas of poverty, social exclusion and income inequality.
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction Gianni Betti and Achille Lemmi 2. Measuring Multidimensional Deprivation with Dichotomized and Ordinal Variables Jacques Silber and Gaston Yalonetzky 3. Poverty and the Dimensionality of Welfare Walter Sosa-Escudero, German Caruso and Marcela Svarc 4. Income, Material Deprivation and Social Exclusion in Israel Naama Haron 5. Multidimensional and Fuzzy Measures of Poverty and Inequality at the National and Regional Levels in Mozambique Gianni Betti, Francesca Gagliardi and Vincenzo Salvucci 6. On Assessing the Time Dimension of Poverty Vijay Verma and Francesca Gagliardi 7. Intertemporal Material Deprivation Walter Bossert, Lidia Ceriani, Satya R. Chakravarty and Conchita D'Ambrosio 8. Measuring Chronic Poverty James E. Foster and Maria Emma Santos 9. Measuring Intertemporal Poverty: Policy options for the poverty analyst Catherine Porter and Natalie Naïri Quinn 10. Measuring Levels and Trends in Absolute Poverty in the World: Open questions and possible alternatives Stephan Klasen 11. Small Area Methodology in Poverty Mapping: An introductory overview Ray Chambers and Monica Pratesi 12. Small Area Estimation of Poverty Using the ELL / Povmap Method, and Its Alternatives Stephen Haslett 13. Estimation of Poverty Measures in Small Areas I. Molina and J.N.K. Rao 14. The Use of Spatial Information for the Estimation of Poverty Indicators at the Small Area Level Nicola Salvati, Caterina Giusti, Monica Pratesi 15. Outlier Robust Semi-Parametric Small Area Methods for Poverty Estimation Nikos Tzavidis, Stefano Marchetti and Steve Donbavand 16. Poverty and Social Exclusion in 3D: Multidimensional, longitudinal and small area estimation Gianni Betti and Achille Lemmi
About the Author :
Gianni Betti is Associate Professor in Statistics and Economics and member of the Research Centre for Income Distribution at the University of Siena, Italy. He has worked for several projects for the World Bank and European Commission, and has been closely involved with the development of the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions,
Achille Lemmi is Full Professor in Statistics and Economics and Director of the Research Centre for Income Distribution at the University of Siena, Italy. He is Associate Editor of Statistics in Transition and member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Economic Inequality. His life-long research interest has been the study of income distribution, inequality and poverty.
Review :
"This collection of 16 essays explores innovative (empirical) research and methods in measuring and mapping poverty, focusing on its effects on social exclusion and other economic phenomena. They employ traditional and multidimensional approaches, but overall focus on 'the construction of time related measures of deprivation at individual and aggregated levels.' The essays are organized into three sections on poverty as a multidimensional phenomena, assessing chronic poverty longitudinally and a concept of 'intertemporal poverty,' and finally estimating poverty in small areas. They are accompanied by tables and other graphical aids. The contributors are mostly economics professors from Europe, with a few from the US and other parts of the world." - Book News
"Ultimately, this is an intriguing book on many levels. The breadth of topics covered and the detail of the methods used are without doubt outstanding. I learnt much about how poverty could be measured, and the challenges that face analysts in so doing. Within this volume, some of the leading names in SAE have provided interesting and provoking contributions." - David Manley, University of Bristol
