Elite Perceptions Of Poverty And Inequality

by Reis, Elisa P.; Moore, Mick

• ISBN13: 9781842776391
• ISBN10: 1842776398
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-17
• Publisher: ZED BOOKS

Summary

Drawing on case studies from a range of developing countries, the contributors to this volume discover major differences in how national elites understand and represent poverty. The classic threats that induced elites in late 19th century Europe, such as the fear of crime, epidemics, military weakness or political unrest--do not feature prominently in the consciousness of most developing country elites. Nor do most of them believe that there is a viable solution to poverty through public action. The findings help to explain the relative ineffectiveness of poverty reduction strategies so far, and illustrate the need to present poverty in ways that tie in with how national elites understand their world.

Author Biography

Elisa P. Reis is Professor of Political sociology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Mick Moore is a political scientist currently with the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.

Table of Contents

List of tables	vii
Acknowledgements	viii
1 Elites, perceptions and poverties	1	(25)
ELISA REIS AND MICK MOORE
Elites	2	(1)
Perceptions	3	(1)
Motivations	3	(3)
Knowledge and policy	6	(2)
Political culture	8	(1)
Representing the diversity of inequalities	9	(3)
Representing the diversity of the South	12	(2)
Comparing perceptions	14	(3)
What did we find?	17	(3)
Organization of the book	20	(6)
2 Perceptions of poverty and inequality among Brazilian elites	26	(31)
ELISA REIS
Brazilian social structure in historical perspective	27	(5)
Looking at the elite	32	(2)
Elite perceptions of poverty and inequality: consensus	34	(14)
Elite perceptions of poverty and inequality: variation	48	(2)
Brazilian elites in comparative perspective	50	(1)
Concluding comments	51	(6)
3 Voices from the top of the pile: elite perceptions of poverty and the poor in the Philippines	57	(34)
GERARD CLARKE AND MARITES SISON
Research methods	58	(2)
Elitism and the national oligarchy	60	(3)
Poverty as a problem	63	(3)
The root causes of poverty	66	(3)
Imagining the poor	69	(2)
Looking in the mirror: the elite on the elite	71	(2)
Ties that bind: links between the elite and the poor	73	(2)
Citizenship and the Filipino elite	75	(2)
Institutional responses to poverty	77	(3)
Conclusion	80	(2)
Annexe: list of interviewees	82	(9)
4 So near and yet so far: elites and imagined poverty in Bangladesh	91	(36)
NAOMI HOSSAIN AND MICK MOORE
Bangladesh and its elites	91	(6)
How do Bangladeshi elites imagine poverty?	97	(5)
How do Bangladeshi elites imagine their relationship to the poor?	102	(9)
What can be done about poverty?	111	(8)
Concluding comment: social consciousness?	119	(8)
5 Haitian elites and their perceptions of poverty and of inequality	127	(29)
OMAR RIBEIRO THOMAZ
Research	128	(1)
From colony to nation: the constitution of contemporary Haiti	128	(4)
A contemporary social map	132	(4)
The elites and their perceptions of poverty and inequality	136	(13)
Final remarks	149	(7)
6 Elite perceptions of poverty and poor people in South Africa	156	(26)
NOUSHIN KALATI AND JAMES MANOR
Methodology	156	(1)
Profiling poverty and inequality in South Africa	157	(2)
Elite perceptions	159	(9)
Social segmentation	168	(5)
The invisibility of rural poverty	173	(1)
Non-ANC elites, resource issues and poverty	174	(2)
Implications	176	(6)
7 Elite perceptions of the poor: reflections on a comparative research project	182	(13)
ABRAM DE SWAAN
8 Elites, poverty and public policy	195	(16)
MICK MOORE AND NAOMI HOSSAIN
Elites, culture and poverty	195	(3)
Implications for the contemporary South	198	(2)
Fear and opportunity	200	(7)
In summary	207	(4)
About the contributors	211	(2)
Index	213