Masters Degrees (Sociology and Social Anthropology)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Sociology and Social Anthropology) by Author "Bloem, Jeanette"

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    Methodological issues in the measurement of poverty : an analysis of two poverty surveys in Lestho
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-03) Bloem, Jeanette; Mouton, Johann; Boshoff, S. C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study analyses poverty and deprivation in Lesotho on the basis of data from two comprehensive household surveys undertaken in 1993 and 1999. The aim of this study was to create a better understanding of poverty and deprivation in Lesotho. The analysis shows that the mountain areas of Lesotho suffer the worst levels of poverty and inequality both in terms of income/consumption and non-income measures compared to the other areas of the country. Poverty was found to be highest amongst households with older heads and higher mean numbers of members. The poor were found to suffer from lack of resources, access to education, basic services such as clean water, proper sanitation facilities and modem energy sources, and have little access to productive resources. The study uses an income-based definition of poverty for most of the analysis. In addition, it develops a broad-based index of deprivation including access to services, education, employment, income, and number of durable assets and traditional wealth. While on average the two indicators correspond fairly closely, the income poverty measure fails to capture those households that are deprived of many of the non-income measures of well-being. The broader deprivation measure provides a more comprehensive understanding of poverty. The conclusions arrived at when the two measures are used show that the concepts and indicators that one uses to measure poverty and deprivation matter a lot in identifying the poor since different conceptions of poverty/deprivation identify different groups with different characteristics as poor. The results also suggest the need for the use of different measures of poverty.