Beyond Income: A Social Justice Approach to Assessing Poverty among Older Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease

ABSTRACT

How social workers define and assess poverty is a matter of economic and social justice. Recent conceptual and measurement advances point to a multidimensional definition of poverty which captures material, social, and political deprivations. Using data from a survey, this article describes how nephrology social workers assess poverty among older adults living with a chronic kidney disease (N = 52). Results suggest respondents already conceive of poverty as a multidimensional experience, support awareness-raising about poverty, and primarily assess poverty by employment status, income, access to transportation, and education. Opportunities to expand poverty assessment in future work are promising.     

Household empowerment as the key to eradicate poverty incidence

The current study aimed to investigate how the household empowerment can potentially reduce the rural poverty incidence. The data were collected through multistage random sampling from the rural households of 24 villages in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 600 households were selected as sample pool. Face‐to‐face interviews with the household heads were conducted. The household empowerment was measured through an index that was adopted from Abrar‐ul‐haq (“An assessment of the role of household empowerment in alleviating poverty in Southern Punjab, Pakistan” (Ph.D. Dissertation), School of Economics, Finance and Banking, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 2017). The binary logit model was used to analyze the impact of household empowerment with other control variables on poverty incidence. The results of the current study confirm the negative nexus between household empowerment and poverty incidence of rural households as the study reported that the probabilities (odds ratio: 0.877) of being poor are reduced by increasing the empowerment (in every aspect, economically, politically, and socially) of the households, and the results are statistically significant at the 1% level of significance. Based on empirical results, this study suggests that household empowerment has significant potential to reduce poverty incidence in the rural areas of Southern Punjab, Pakistan.     

Poverty Among Korean Immigrant Older Adults: Examining the Effects of Social Exclusion

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have shown that elderly Asian immigrants face greater risks for living in poverty compared with their native contemporaries. Particularly, Korean immigrant older adults are reported to be most likely to experience poverty among many Asian immigrant groups. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which demographic, human capital, and social exclusion factors contribute to such economic vulnerability among Korean immigrant older adults. Adding to previous research, this study broadly conceptualizes social exclusion and tests for its additive effects on poverty using nationally representative public data of Korean immigrant older adults. From the 2008–2010 Public Use Microdata Sample of the American Community Survey, this study extracts a sample that consists of individuals aged 65 years and older whose national origin is Korean, who were not born in the United States, and thereafter immigrated to the United States (N = 3,820). The findings indicate that 3 dimensions of social exclusion—exclusion from social and civic life, exclusion from asset building, and exclusion from the labor market—contribute significantly to Korean immigrant older adults’ odds of living in poverty. The study concludes with practice implications for socially inclusive workforce development as a way to ameliorate economic afflictions among Korean immigrant older adults.     

Persistent mind: The effects of information provision on policy preferences

In constitutional states, representatives exchange information, discuss the budget direction and agree on a budget. The agreement is assumed to hold for one fiscal year. To test the validity of this constitutional assumption, we implemented an online panel survey with a randomized conjoint design three times over one year in Japan to track the direction of respondents’ preferences within a multidimensional public policy space. The policy space consisted of spending on education, infrastructure, health insurance, pensions, and poverty relief programs, as well as fiscal retrenchment. Providing information on the poverty rate in the first wave directed respondents’ preferences toward support for poverty relief programs by either increasing or reallocating the budget. The effects persisted in the second wave 5 months later across a diverse range of respondent backgrounds and political positions. By the third wave one year later, the effects had diminished. Once placed in a multidimensional space, information exchange might have a more extended scope than unidimensional approaches have shown. This finding, we believe, can broaden our capability to implement policies for poverty reduction.     

Poverty assessment as a multidimensional socio-economic concept: the case of the Rawalpindi region in Pakistan

The definition on poverty has progressed into a multidimensional concept focusing more on socio-economic dimensions than being a mere measure of financial deprivation. Corresponding to this advancement, this study investigated the incidence of multidimensional poverty (MDP) in the Rawalpindi region of Pakistan, taking into account three dimensions, i.e. education, health and housing. Findings revealed an inconsistent declining trend of MDP over time. This inconsistency was mainly attributed to observed fluctuations in deprivation levels of education, health and housing in the region. Over time, education deprivation showed a significant net increase. Notably, the magnitude of MDP in rural areas was higher than in urban areas.     

Role of AKRSP on Gender Development: A Case Study in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

In Pakistan, nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) play an important role in program implementation. This study focuses on the contribution of one of these NGO social service programs that serves women in a rural area of Pakistan. To assess program satisfaction and effectiveness, 200 females were surveyed to measure their opinions and overall satisfaction with this particular NGO. The key findings of the study showed that the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) had a significant positive impact on the lives of these women through increasing social and decision-making skills while improving their income and living standards by providing employment opportunities and training. Future recommendations are made to continue to sponsor such programs that focus on a group-support for women while also providing supportive services that empower decision-making and economic standing.     

Aggregation theorems and multidimensional stochastic choice models

In many choice situations, the options are multidimensional. Numerous probabilistic models have been developed for such choices between multidimensional options and for the parallel choices determined by one or more components of such options. In this paper, it is assumed that a functional relation exists between the choice probabilities over the multidimensional options and the choice probabilities over the associated component unidimensional options. It is shown that if that function satisfies a marginalization property then it is essentially an arithmetic mean, and if the function satisfies a likelihood independence property then it is a weighted geometric mean. The results are related to those on the combination of expert opinion, and various probabilistic models in the choice literature are shown to have the geometric mean form.     

“Are We Doing Fine?” The Views on Poverty Reduction Strategies Among Front-Line Workers in the Field of Social Assistance in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This research highlights the views of front-line workers in the social assistance system in Turkey about the strategies of poverty reduction and the effectiveness of the assistance given by Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations (SASFs) to the poor. The data were gathered from 33 employees from the 8 SASF offices in Ankara, Turkey. The results show that the majority of the participants agree with governmental efforts to create employment opportunities as the most important method. Although the participants felt the services they provided were effective at the individual and family level, they thought such services were extremely insufficient in terms of poverty reduction on a macro scale. The findings were discussed within the framework of the changing nature of poverty and the recent agenda on poverty reduction in Turkey. Future research based upon larger samples from different parties in the field of social assistance is needed to fully determine the positions taken by the agents.     

Factors of regional poverty reduction in Colombia: Do institutional conditions matter?

Colombia has a unique history, which has been heavily conditioned by armed conflict lasting more than 50 years. This study examines the institutional conditions for success and failure in reducing poverty in Colombian departments by considering changes that took place between 2003 and 2014. Fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis identifies the changes in regional conditions that reduce poverty over time. The pathways for poverty reduction are multidimensional, and many involve changes in institutional attributes such as government transparency, absence of violence, and electoral turnout. The framework developed in this paper can be used to monitor necessary and sufficient pathways in regional clusters.     

The Key to Precise Poverty Alleviation Rests in the Precise Indentification of Impoverished Populations—An Analysis of the Targeting Effectiveness of China’s Rural Dibao Program

The success of the poverty elimination program, as an important element in the strategy of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, depends on the accurate identification of the population living in poverty. An analysis of 2013 data from the China Household Income Project (CHIP 2013) shows that in terms of the income-based poverty line, the targeting of the current rural minimum living standard guarantee or subsistence allowance program (dibao) program is very imprecise; it improves with the use of multidimensional poverty criteria, but coverage remains poor. In order to unify the criteria for the rural poverty alleviation (fupin) criteria and the dibao criteria, a uniform set of national criteria should be established. This should shift from income as the sole criterion to multidimensional criteria, so that a uniform scheme can be developed to identify those in need. At the same time, the coverage of the dibao program should be extended and the transfer amounts increased, so that the scheme genuinely covers all of the target population in rural China.     

Prioritizing Choice: Perceptions of Neighborhood Social Cohesion for Residents in Subsidized Housing

ABSTRACT

Many families living in poverty rely on housing subsidies. Housing subsidies restrict the housing stock and neighborhood choices for families living in poverty. Fortunately neighborhood social cohesion can protect families from many of the deleterious consequences associated with living in a low-income neighborhood. This study uses panel data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Making Connections initiative to test the role of public housing types on perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion. The probability sample used in the study consists of 2,470 households living in low-income neighborhoods in ten cities in the United States. Results show that public housing residents, both housing choice voucher users and non-housing choice voucher users, on average, report lower neighborhood social cohesion than their non-public housing neighbors. Results also show that moving to a new neighborhood consistently predicts improved neighborhood social cohesion while moving to public housing predicts declines in perceived neighborhood social cohesion. Choice in where one lives seems to play an important and positive role in perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion. Based on these data, it is suggested that policy makers and housing providers prioritize choice in the development and delivery of public housing.     

Student Perceptions of Financial Literacy: Relevance to Practice

ABSTRACT

The relevance of financial literacy to social work has been framed almost exclusively in the context of poverty relief, but this study expands this framework to the evidence linking financial stress, not merely poverty, to adverse client outcomes. Using a new 15-item, quantitative instrument, student (N= 1,506) perceptions were collected. Respondents demonstrated a moderate awareness of the relevance of financial literacy in 11 of 15 problem issues commonly encountered in practice, indicating a moderate receptivity to financial education. Future research should clarify the contours of financial knowledge that is required to assist clients.     

Universal basic income: A feasible alternative to move people out of poverty in Mexico?

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of social policy to alleviate poverty in Mexico; where poverty is persistent, social programs are numerous and complex to monitor. Our analysis uses MEXMOD tax-benefit microsimulation. We simulate four scenarios that grant direct money transfers to individuals in multidimensional poverty, elderly people, families with children under 15 years old, and a universal basic income. The more generous and broader the coverage is, the costlier the policies. The first-best policy is the universal basic income, which can eradicate extreme poverty at the cost of 10.61 % of the gross domestic product. The least effective policy transfers only to older people.     

The Development and Initial Validation of a Psychoanalysis Use/Non-Use Scale among a Sample of Hong Kong Helping Professionals.

ABSTRACT

This article reports on the construction and initial validation of the Psychoanalysis Use/Non-Use scale (PUNU) and the complementary Conflicts with Hong Kong Chinese Culture scale (CHKCC), developed for assessing the penetration of psychoanalysis among counseling professionals in Hong Kong. A total of 217 Hong Kong social workers, psychologists, and counselors were surveyed to assess the scales' internal psychometric properties. Factor analysis confirmed a four-factor structure for the PUNU, and a unidimensional structure for the CHKCC, with 17 and 9 items, respectively. Internal reliability of both scales was good and discriminative validity was supported by comparisons with background information. These scales could help to identify factors that affect the understanding of psychoanalysis among professionals and could be useful for educational purposes.     

The potential of asset‐based development strategies for poverty alleviation in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Ssewamala FM, Sperber, ES, Zimmerman JM, Karimli L. The potential of asset‐based development strategies for poverty alleviation in Sub‐Saharan Africa Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 433–443 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare. This article explores the potential of a relatively new approach to social development as a poverty alleviation strategy in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA): asset‐based development, an integrated approach to human, social, and economic capital formation. It considers the theoretical framework guiding asset‐based development and the accompanying set of programmatic and policy‐level tools for poverty alleviation in SSA. After considering the recent historical and theoretical contexts of the approach, the authors examine the potential of asset‐based development programs, specifically savings‐led microfinance programs for the poor, to engender development and, more specifically, poverty alleviation in the region. Major challenges and directions for future research are presented.     

Religion and relief: the role of religion in mobilizing civil society against global poverty

Abstract

Although global poverty is one of the world's most pressing contemporary problems, there is a lack of political will to address it, and much of the work is left to non-governmental organizations (NGOs)-many of which have religious connections. However, religion's role in this area is surprisingly understudied. In attempting to fill the gap, this study explores what makes religion effective in mobilizing civil society actors to engage in transnational poverty relief and development. The paper examines the salience of religious actors in the field, before developing a theoretical framework to explain this prevalence, employing sociologically based theories of religious social capital, content, and cultural power. Finally, these issues are investigated practically through case studies of two religious NGOs, World Vision New Zealand (WVNZ) and TEAR Fund New Zealand. The findings corroborate the theoretical framework, demonstrating the considerable potential of religion to mobilize civil society in the fight against global poverty.     

Utilization of Community-Based Social and Health Services Among Foreign Born Hispanic American Elderly

ABSTRACT

This study examined factors associated with the utilization of community-based social and health services among foreign born elderly Hispanic Americans. The data came from a nationwide probability sample of Hispanic Americans age 65 and older including 296 Mexico-born Mexican Americans, 571 Cuba-born Cuban Americans, and 247 respondents from other Hispanic countries. Being a Cuba-born Cuban American, living alone, having poorer self-rated health and living below poverty level were positively related with the utilization of community-based social services. Cuban Americans with more limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) used more community-based health services. Among Mexico-born Mexican Americans, those who lived alone used more social as well as health services while those who were married used more social services. Those with greater limitations in ADL used more health services. Among other foreign born Hispanic Americans, going to church, living alone and living below poverty status, were positively correlated with the utilization of social services. Respondents with better English language ability were less likely to use community based health services. Elderly men and people who rated their health as poorer or had more ADL limitations were more likely to use these services. Implications of these findings for health and social services are discussed.     

Social Welfare in Vietnam: A Curse or Blessing for Poor Children?

Despite a rapid increase in economic growth accompanied by the rise of living standards over the last two decades in Vietnam, there is still a considerable proportion of the population that lives in poor and vulnerable conditions. Children in particular are disproportionately affected by poverty. The country employs a broad range of social protection programs that tend to be regressive in effect rather than supportive of the poor. The present paper evaluates the social welfare scheme in Vietnam in terms of child poverty. We use the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) 2006 and identify and quantify child poverty in monetary as well as multidimensional terms. We consider the link between social welfare receipt and poverty and evaluate coverage, exclusion, and inclusion errors. Furthermore, we use benefit incidence analysis to evaluate the impact of social welfare on monetary child poverty. Findings suggest that coverage of the social welfare scheme is limited and that the scheme suffers from considerable exclusion and inclusion errors. Furthermore, we find that social welfare only slightly reduces the incidence and depth of monetary poverty.     

Asymmetric impact of inflation and unemployment on poverty in Pakistan: new evidence from asymmetric ARDL cointegration

The current study is intended to examine the asymmetric impact of inflation and unemployment on the poverty of Pakistan over the period of 1970 to 2016 by applying asymmetric Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration approach. The results revealed the presence of long-run asymmetries among inflation, unemployment and poverty. These findings also confirmed the atypical reaction of poverty to negative and positive shocks in unemployment and inflation. Furthermore, findings also confirmed negative and significant association among health expenditures (HE), population growth and poverty. The findings of the study have relevant implications for policymakers interested in the asymmetric relationship among inflation, unemployment and poverty in Pakistan.     

The breadth and depth of multidimensional child poverty in China

This study analysed the multidimensional child poverty status in China between 1989 and 2009, using the China Health and Nutrition survey data. Based on the Alkire–Foster method for measuring poverty, a multidimensional poverty index was calculated and further decomposed into seven deprivation dimensions: nutrition, water, sanitation, health, education, shelter and information. The study has four main findings: (1) The multidimensional child poverty rate in China declined gradually where the sanitation facility was most severely deprived; (2) The poverty gap between rich and poor provinces remained over the years; (3) The urban–rural disparity was reduced in all seven dimensions; (4) The poorest of the poor climbed out of ultra‐poverty and became the moderately poor or even the non‐poor.