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What is poverty? A diachronic exploration of the discourse on poverty from the 1970s to the 2000s

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  • Federica Misturelli
  • Claire Heffernan

Abstract

Poverty is central to the concept of development. However, the relevance given to particular aspects of poverty has changed over the years and with it the manner in which poverty has been represented. The following paper explores how concepts of poverty within the 'poverty discourse' have altered over a 30-year period. A diachronic analysis is performed to explore changes in the topical and thematic composition of the definitions, in addition to the manner in which poverty has been 'framed'. The results illustrated that poverty was variably framed across the decades ranging from a 'neutral' fact to a highly contested state with little agreement over causes and consequences. Nevertheless, the relational analysis revealed the de-problematization of poverty over time. The finding has clear implications for development praxis: poverty needs to be 'attacked', but the root causes, at least from a discursive perspective, may be ignored.

Suggested Citation

  • Federica Misturelli & Claire Heffernan, 2008. "What is poverty? A diachronic exploration of the discourse on poverty from the 1970s to the 2000s," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 666-684.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eurjdr:v:20:y:2008:i:4:p:666-684
    DOI: 10.1080/09578810802464888
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Isaac Doku, 2022. "Are Developing Countries Using Climate Funds for Poverty Alleviation? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(6), pages 3026-3049, December.
    2. Jonada Tafa, 2014. "Examining the Relationship of Corruption with Economic Growth, Poverty and Gender Inequality Albanian Case," European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 1, May - Aug.
    3. Xiaohong He & Xi Chen, 2016. "Empirical Effects Of Entrepreneurship On Regional Development: A Chinese Local Perspective," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(01), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Naudé, Wim & Amorós, José Ernesto & Cristi, Oscar, 2013. ""Romanticizing Penniless Entrepreneurs?" The Relationship between Start-Ups and Human Wellbeing across Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 7547, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Thai Thi Minh & Charity Osei‐Amponsah, 2021. "Towards poor‐centred value chain for sustainable development: A conceptual framework," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 1223-1236, November.
    6. Ana Paula Ribeiro & Sandra Tavares Silva & Duarte Guimarães, 2015. "Macroeconomic Fundamentals of Poverty and Deprivation: An Empirical Study for Developed Countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 27(1), pages 37-66, January.
    7. Diana Barros (a) Aurora A.C. Teixeira (b), 2021. "A Portrait of Development Economics in the Last Sixty Years," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 46(2), pages 69-118, June.

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