Analyses the role of the actors involved in policy processes at national level and the availablity of poverty knowledge. Distinguishes between traditional experts, like donor and creditor agencies, and new experts, such as civil society organizations, concluding that the latter should reclaim from government and its donor partners the territory of participation.

Alice O'Connor here chronicles the transformation in the study of poverty from a reform-minded inquiry into the political economy of industrial capitalism to the detached, highly technical 1990s analysis of the demographic and behavioural characteristics of the poor. "Poverty Knowledge" is a comprehensive historical account of the thinking behind these very different views of "the poverty problem". It is a century-spanning inquiry into the politics, institutions, ideologies, and social science that shaped poverty research and policy.

This book published for the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex presents the findings of a team of researchers based in the UK, Uganda and Nigeria. It sets out to examine the processes by which policies for poverty reduction are made and implemented, and assesses to what extent policies provide for positive change in the lives of poor people. The project advocates a policy process that is radically different from the traditional linear model; one that departs from structural adjustment exigencies of external conditionality to one in which actors, knowledge and policy spaces interact in policy making. Strategies are generated and owned locally and the poor are understood as active participants in their own development. The book argues that if political systems and the policy processes through which they are enacted are to be democratised, then so should the knowledge base that feeds those policy processes. This means working by a deliberative process not only to produce knowledge, but also to incorporate knowledge of different kinds; differentiating between respective roles and powers of discourse, and reconstituting the prevailing cultures of legitimacy and representation. Although based on evidence from Uganda and Nigeria, the book is conceived to have application to the struggle against poverty more widely.

The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Poverty builds a common scholarly ground in the study of poverty by bringing together an international, inter-disciplinary group of scholars to provide their perspectives on the issue. Contributors engage in discussions about the leading theories and conceptual debates regarding poverty, the most salient topics in poverty research, and the far-reaching consequences of poverty on the individual and societal level.

One-in-seven adults and one-in-five children in the United States live in poverty. Individuals and families living in povertyÊnot only lack basic, material necessities, but they are also disproportionally afflicted by many social and economic challenges. Some of these challenges include the increased possibility of an unstable home situation, inadequate education opportunities at all levels, and a high chance of crime and victimization. Given this growing social, economic, and political concern, The Hamilton Project at Brookings asked academic experts to develop policy proposals confronting the various challenges of AmericaÕs poorest citizens, and to introduce innovative approaches to addressing poverty.ÊWhen combined, the scope and impact of these proposals has the potential to vastly improve the lives of the poor. The resulting 14 policy memos are included in The Hamilton ProjectÕs Policies to Address Poverty in America. The main areas of focus include promoting early childhood development, supporting disadvantaged youth, building worker skills, and improving safety net and work support.

For anyone wanting to learn, in practical terms, how to measure, describe, monitor, evaluate, and analyze poverty, this Handbook is the place to start. It is designed to be accessible to people with a university-level background in science or the social sciences. It is an invaluable tool for policy analysts, researchers, college students, and government officials working on policy issues related to poverty and inequality.