Poverty and Social Exclusion

This area studies poverty and social exclusion — their definition, measurement, causes, and the policies that address them.

Scope

It covers absolute and relative poverty, deprivation and social exclusion, poverty measurement, and anti-poverty policy.

Core questions

• What is poverty, and how should it be measured?
• Is poverty absolute or relative?
• What causes poverty and exclusion?
• How can poverty be reduced?

Key concepts

• Absolute and relative poverty
• Relative deprivation
• Social exclusion
• Capability deprivation
• Poverty line
• Anti-poverty policy

Key theories

Relative deprivation

Townsend conceptualized and measured poverty as relative deprivation from customary living standards.

Capability and poverty

Sen argued poverty is best understood as capability deprivation, reconciling absolute and relative views.

History

Poverty research developed the relative-deprivation approach (Townsend) and the capability approach (Sen), shaping measurement and the concept of social exclusion.

Debates

Absolute versus relative poverty

Whether poverty is a fixed subsistence threshold or relative to societal standards.

Key figures

• Peter Townsend
• Amartya Sen

Seminal works

• townsend-1979
• sen-1983

Frequently asked questions

What is social exclusion?

A broader concept than income poverty, referring to processes that shut people out of full participation in society.