Why Multidimensional Poverty Measures?

Gaston Yalonetzky
  • Conceptual and philosophical arguments for multidimensional poverty measures.
  • Overview of public debates, Stiglitz Sen Fitoussi Commission.
  • The challenges for, and debates of, multidimensional poverty measures.

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Guide to the video

00:00 Introduction

Part 1: Why a Renewed Interest in Multidimensional Poverty Measures?

06:28 Overview

11:06 1: Relevant data is increasing

13:12 2: Multiple poverty measures are exploding

14:50 3: The 2010 Human Development Report – three new indices

16:50 4: Technical resources do not reflect human development

17:33 5: The political demand is increasing

24:18 Introduction to the Stiglitz Sen Fitoussi Commission

32:33 Focus of the Stiglitz Sen Fitoussi Commission

Part 2: Why Multidimensional Poverty Measures?

34:28 Income measures are incomplete

38:45 Justifications of multidimensional poverty measures

Part 3: The Debates of Multidimensional Poverty Measures

40:57 The two major challenges for multidimensional poverty measures; why replace incomes? why a composite index?

45:09 First challenge posed by (among other Ravallion): monetary poverty is multidimensional

47:29 The answer to the challenge: the problems with monetary poverty

55:23 Second challenge: why not use the dash board approach to multidimensional poverty measures?

61:23 The answer to the challenge: the problems with the dash board approach to multidimensional poverty

70:17 The empirical challenge to multidimensional poverty

74:47 Challenges, improvements and best practices of multidimensional poverty measures

83:00 An overview “the reasons for using a multidimensional poverty measure”