Poverty definitions diversity and clusters of poverty

Abstract

Today is a growing need to accumulate and generalise knowledge related to po ver ty which should facilitate the development of new approaches toward fighting po ver ty. Otherwise, any attempt to study this complex and multi-faceted problem is doomed to be incomplete. The main purpose of the paper is a further development of the overall theory of po ver ty through the generalisation of accumulated knowledge, related to po ver ty essence and po ver ty types understanding. The theoretical and methodological foundations of the paper are based on the analysis, comparison, systematisation and classification of the different views on the po ver ty, developed in scientist literature on economics, sociology, political sciences, anthropology, and psychology. Proceeding from the analysis of the different views on the po ver ty essence the article has been systematised and grouped po ver ty definitions according to seven different criteria, particularly: monetary-based understanding of po ver ty, population-resources-ratio-disbalance-based understanding of po ver ty, class-based understanding of po ver ty, living-standards-based understanding of po ver ty, self-identification-based determinations of poverty, life-style-based determinations of poverty, human-capabilities-based understanding of poverty. The analysis of the scientific literature has allowed to find out, compare and explain 34 different titles of 27 types of poverty, that are classified in 8 clusters of po ver ty: cluster of basic types of poverty, poverty assessment cluster, poverty origins cluster, poverty manifestation cluster, cluster of the poverty nature, poverty sustainability cluster, poverty distribution cluster, cluster of exclusion. Systematisation of poverty definitions and poverty cluster analyse are directed on a better understanding of the poverty phenomenon that might facilitate the development of new approaches toward fighting poverty and be useful for the find out effective ways of its overcoming. The study presents the results of comprehensive and complex analysis of the existing explanation and definitions of poverty essence and poverty types and offers authors’ views on their systematisation and classification.