2nd Edition
Understanding Global Poverty Causes, Solutions, and Capabilities
Understanding Global Poverty introduces students to the study and analysis of poverty, helping them to understand why it is pervasive across human societies, and how it can be reduced through proven policy solutions.
The book uses the capabilities and human development approach to foreground the human aspects of poverty, keeping the voices, experiences, and needs of the world’s poor central to the analysis. Starting with definitions and measurement, the book goes on to explore the causes of poverty and how poverty reduction programs and policy have responded in practice. The book also reflects on the ethics of why we should work to reduce poverty and what actions readers themselves can take. This new edition has been revised and updated throughout, featuring:
• a new chapter on migration and refugees
• additional international examples, including material on Mexico, Covid-19 in global perspective, and South–South development initiatives
• information on careers in international development
• insights into how various forms of social difference, including race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexuality relate to poverty
Fully interdisciplinary in approach, the book is also supplemented with case studies, discussion questions, and further reading suggestions in order to support learning. Perfect as an introductory textbook for students across sociology, global development, political science, anthropology, public health, and economics, Understanding Global Poverty will also be a valuable resource to policy makers and development practitioners.
Chapter 1: Building a Framework for Understanding Poverty
Chapter 2: Development and its Debates
Chapter 3: Multidimensional Measurements of Poverty and Wellbeing
Chapter 4: Health and Poverty
Chapter 5: Geographical and Spatial Poverty
Chapter 6: Race, Class, Gender, and Poverty
Chapter 7: State Institutions, Governance, and Poverty
Chapter 8: Conflict and Poverty
Chapter 9: Migration and Poverty Reduction: balancing human security and national security
Chapter 10: Education as Poverty Reduction
Chapter 11: The Environment and Poverty Reduction
Chapter 12: Financial Services for the Poor
Conclusion: Ethics and Action: What Should You Do About Global Poverty?
Appendix: Careers in International Development
Biography
Serena Cosgrove is an Associate Professor in International Studies at Seattle University, USA.
Benjamin Curtis is a Director and Principal Consultant at Development Insights Partners, Czech Republic.
"This exceptional cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural work on one of the most pressing issues of humanity must be read not only by scholars and university students but also by policy makers. The authors show vividly and compassionately how poverty is a human problem and how it is related to capabilities. This book hands a mirror to its readers."
Gül İnanç, Co-Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies, University of Auckland
"Understanding Global Poverty is an excellent resource that lives up to its name in offering readers a rich understanding of poverty as more than low income. The authors use clear language and compelling case studies as they untangle complex issues of global poverty in a manner that is sure to engage students."
Lori Keleher, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, New Mexico State University; President of the International Development Ethics Association
"This smartly revised second edition of Understanding Global Poverty is an exemplary go-to resource. Each chapter’s clearly articulated learning goals and discussion questions are ideal for the student-centered classroom. While unapologetically grounded in ethical approaches to development, the authors nevertheless consider both the strengths and weaknesses of each using empirical evidence and vignettes to illustrate core concepts and debates. Its multi-disciplinarity will attract a wide variety of students eager to understand the challenges of global poverty and engage in solutions to meet them."
Daniel J. Whelan, Bill and Connie Bowen Odyssey Professor of Politics, Hendrix College, USA
