From income to endowments : the difficult task of expanding the income poverty paradigm

Conceptual limitations appeared very early in the development of what may be called in economics the "income poverty (or inequality) paradigm". They were mostly concerned with the definition of poverty and the use of income or expenditure scalars as an exclusive basis for measuring it. Since then the income poverty paradigm developed considerably and has reached today a high level of sophistication and operationality. Things were not as rapid with the concepts that were proposed as alternatives to income poverty. Progresses over the last years have been effective, though, and they are well illustrated by the considerable broadening of the perspective adopted almost everywhere today in defining and analyzing poverty and inequality. Yet, challenges remain quite serious if the objective is to reach a degree of operationality comparable to that enjoyed by the income poverty paradigm. This chapter reviews those challenges emphasizing the progresses made and the tasks remaining ahead.