Sociocultural Factors Affecting Poverty and Poverty Reduction

Abstract

Until fairly recently, discussions of poverty have largely dwelt on assessments of income and expenditure, with “social analysis” rarely proceeding beyond issues of health and education. Such discussions unfortunately neglect decades of rich sociological, anthropological and psycho-social research that sheds light on poverty, its differential causes, expressions and on sequences in societies the world over. Central to this discussion are key concepts from sociology (e.g., social class, family, cooperation, conflict). Anthropology contributes such concepts as culture, values, norms, ethnicity, and alliances, while social psychology adds such notions as vulnerability, self-esteem, insecurity, and discrimination.