Applying the consensual method of estimating poverty in a low income African setting

Nandy, Shailen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1066-9181 and Pomati, Marco ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3370-2709 2015. Applying the consensual method of estimating poverty in a low income African setting. Social Indicators Research 124 (3) , pp. 693-726. 10.1007/s11205-014-0819-z

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Abstract

We present the first study of multidimensional poverty in Benin using the consensual or socially perceived necessities approach. There is a remarkable level consensus about what constitutes the necessities of life and an adequate standard of living. Following Townsend’s concept of relative deprivation, we show how social consensus provides the basis for a reliable and valid index of multiple deprivation, which can be used to reflect multidimensional poverty. We discuss the issue of adaptive preferences, which has previously been used to criticise the consensual approach, and provide evidence to contest the claim that the poor adjust their aspirations downwards.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DT Africa H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Poverty, Deprivation, Consensual approach, Socially perceived necessities, Benin, West Africa
Additional Information:	This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.
Publisher:	Springer Verlag (Germany)
ISSN:	0303-8300
Funders:	ESRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 March 2020
Date of Acceptance:	8 November 2014
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 19:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/68230

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