This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

The Information Basis of Multivariate PovertyAssessments

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Esfandiar Maasoumi ()
Maria Ana Lugo

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Measures of multivariate well-being, such as poverty or inequality, are scalar functions of matrices of several attributes, m, associated with a number of individual or households, N. This entails inevitable “aggregation” and summarization over individuals as well as attributes. There is no escape from this. Such aggregation, in turn, implies a set of weights attached to each individual, and some normative decision on how they relate. The aggregation over the attributes also forces decisions about the weight to be given to each attribute and the relation between the attributes as, perhaps, substitutes or complements. We argue in favor of information theory aggregation methods which are explicit about such normative choices, and help place other methods in this realistic context. According to axiomatically well developed measures of divergence in information theory, our measures are “ideal” and other methods are therefore sub-optimal. The advocacy of the latter must be accompanied by well argued positions in support of special properties and other considerations which may be compelling in a given context or application.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.economics.emory.edu/Working_Papers/wp/2008wp/maasoumi_08_04_paper.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economics, Emory University (Atlanta) in its series Emory Economics with number 0804.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Jun 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:emo:wp2003:0804

Contact details of provider:
Email:
Web page: http://www.economics.emory.edu/Working_Papers/wp/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Sue Mialon).

Related research
Keywords:

Other versions of this item:

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports: References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Kai-yuen Tsui, 2002. "Multidimensional poverty indices," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 69-93. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Maasoumi, Esfandiar, 1986. "The Measurement and Decomposition of Multi-dimensional Inequality," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(4), pages 991-97, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. François Bourguignon & Satya Chakravarty, 2003. "The Measurement of Multidimensional Poverty," Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 25-49, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. A. Atkinson, 2003. "Multidimensional Deprivation: Contrasting Social Welfare and Counting Approaches," Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 51-65, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Bourguignon, F. & Chakravarty, S.R., 1998. "A Family of Multidimensional Poverty Measures," DELTA Working Papers 98-03, DELTA (Ecole normale supérieure).
  6. Strauss, J. & Thomas, D., 1995. "Health, Nutrition and Economic development," Papers 95-23, RAND - Labor and Population Program.
    Other versions:
  7. Joseph Deutsch & Jacques Silber, 2005. "Measuring Multidimensional Poverty: An Empirical Comparison Of Various Approaches," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 51(1), pages 145-174, 03. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Ebrahimi, Nader & Maasoumi, Esfandiar & Soofi, Ehsan S., 1999. "Ordering univariate distributions by entropy and variance," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 317-336, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Sami Bibi, 2004. "Comparing Multidimensional Poverty between Egypt and Tunisia," Cahiers de recherche 0416, CIRPEE. [Downloadable!]
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Mª Casilda Lasso de la Vega & Ana Urrutia & Henar Diez, 2009. "The Bourguignon and Chakravarty multidimensional poverty family: A characterization," Working Papers 109, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? Cannot find something on IDEAS? Encourage the publisher to index it! Instructions.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-18.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.