For students taking MSc Development Studies, MSc Development Management, MSc Anthropology and Development, MSc Population and Development, MSc NGOs and Development and MSc Political Economy of Late Development.

A policy-oriented, interdisciplinary analysis of issues of conceptualisation, identification and measurement of poverty, linking these to strategies, policies and interventions for poverty reduction. Alternative perspectives will be critically analysed and evaluated. An interdisciplinary approach will be used, and no prior mathematical or statistical qualification is required. The course deals with characterisations of poverty, deprivation and disadvantage, but its real interest is in the lives of the poor. The lectures pay special attention throughout to gender dimensions of poverty.

The course discusses conceptual dimensions of poverty, deprivation and human development, covering alternative approaches, measures and methods of quantification and identification, including concepts of gross national product (GNP), various human development indices and gross national happiness (GNH), absolute and relative poverty measures, notions of chronic poverty and socio-economic vulnerability, with particular emphasis given to the role of heath; functioning and capability deprivation; social exclusion; and contrasting methods based on the self-perception and participation of the poor themselves. These are analysed, compared, and applied, within a global frame of reference to elicit alternative meanings of poverty, to identify corresponding constituencies of 'the poor', and to introduce alternative entry points for policy interventions designed to eliminate poverty.  The last lectures of the course deal with various modes of policy intervention, from micro approaches such as targeting and microfinance, to macro approaches dealing with overall regimes of social policy.

The seminars will also selectively address wider strategic issues and options in policy intervention for poverty reduction, with a particular focus on country case studies.  They will also pose some problematic questions.  Why are we so worried about accurately identifying the poor in the first place?  How do the choices of measure and method influence the identification of the poor, and thereby the design of policy interventions for reducing poverty?  Alternatives to the 'New Poverty Agenda' will be explored.

The course will be taught during LT and will consist of 10 two-hour lectures and ten seminars/workshops during weeks 1-10, each of one-and-a-half hours.

Chambers, R., ‘Poverty and Livelihoods: Whose Reality Counts?, Environment and Urbanization, Volume 7, Number 1, 1 April 1995, pp. 173-204; Chant, S. (2007), Gender, Generation and Poverty: exploring the ‘Feminisation of Poverty’ in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Cheltenham: Edgar Elgar; Cooke B, and U. Kothari (eds), Participation: The New Tyranny, London, Zed Press, 2001; Cornwall A (2003), ‘Whose Voices? Whose Choices? Reflections on Gender and Participatory Development’, World Development, Vol. 31, No. 8, pp. 1325-1342; Ghai, D., ‘Decent work: concepts, models and indicators’, Education and outreach programme. Geneva: International Institute for Labour Studies, 2002; Gore, C, and J. B. Figueiredo, eds. (1997), Social exclusion and anti-poverty policy: A debate. Geneva: International Institute for Labour Studies, ILO publications; Glewwe, P. & Van der Gaag, J. (June 1990), “Identifying the Poor in Developing Countries: Do Different Definitions Matter?”, World Development, Vol.18, No.6, pp.803-814; Hills, J., J Le Grand and D Piachaud (eds), Understanding Social Exclusion, Oxford University Press, 2002; Indira, H., (2003) ‘Identification of BPL households for poverty alleviation programmes’, Economic and Political Weekly, November 8, 2003, pp: 4803-4808; Jackson, C., (1996), ‘Rescuing Gender From the Poverty Trap’, World Development, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 489-504; Kabeer, N., ‘Beyond the Poverty Line: Measuring Poverty and Impoverishing Measures’, Chapter 6 in N Kabeer, Reversed Realities: Gender Hierarchies in Development Thought, pp.136-162, London & New York, Laderchi, C. R., R. Saith and F. Stewart (2003), ‘Does it Matter that we do not agree on the Definition of Poverty? A Comparison of Four Approaches’, Oxford Development Studies, 31(3): 243-274; Maxwell, S. (2004). ‘Heaven or Hubris: Reflections on the new “New Poverty Agenda”’, in H. White and R. Black, Targeting Development: Critical Perspectives on the Millennium Development Goals. London/New York, Routledge: 25-46; Ravallion, M., Poverty Comparisons: A Guide to Concepts and Methods, LSMS Working Paper 88, Washington DC, World Bank, 1992; Reddy, Sanjay G. and Thomas W. Pogge (2002) How not to count the poor. www.socialanalysis.org. 15 August 2002; Saith, A., 'Social Protection, Decent Work, and Development', Discussion Paper 152/2004, Education and Outreach Programme. Geneva: International Institute for Labour Studies, 2004; Townsend, P. and Gordon D. (eds.), World Poverty: New policies to defeat an old enemy. Bristol: The Policy Press; Verso, 1994; Saith, A., ‘Poverty Lines versus the Poor: Method versus Meaning’, Economic and Political Weekly, October 22, 2006

Two-hour unseen examination held in the ST (70%); and one essay (up to 3,000 words) to be submitted at the start of ST (30%).