The Ability to go About Without Shame: A Proposal for Internationally Comparable Indicators

Shame and humiliation are central to the understanding of poverty yet internationally comparable data on this dimension are missing. Based on existing indicators from related fields, this article suggests eight indicators to measure specific aspects of shame and humiliation that could start an in-depth debate around this topic. The indicators are the following: whether respondents would feel shame if they were poor; levels of shame proneness; perceptions of respectful treatment, unfair treatment and prejudiced treatment; whether respondents perceive that their ethnic, racial or cultural background affects their chances of getting jobs, public services and education; whether respondents perceive that economic conditions affect their chances of getting jobs, public services and education; and levels of accumulated humiliation.

Citation: Zavaleta, D. (2007). The ability to go about without shame: A proposal for internationally comparable indicators', OPHI Working Paper 3, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford.

Also published as 'The ability to go about without shame: A proposal for internationally comparable indicators of shame and humiliation' in Oxford Development Studies, 2007, Vol. 35(4), pp. 405-430.

Spanish version 'Las dimensiones faltantes en la medición de la pobreza', (p. 69–80), CAF - Banco de Desarrollo de America Latina