Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

The marginality concept calls for the integration of poverty concepts with those of social exclusion, geography, and ecology. The difficulties in reaching people at the margins of systems are explained by a set of distances, (i.e., physical distances such as being located in remote or harsh environments), social distances (being excluded, discriminated against, or not having rights or access to services or opportunities), but may also be related to technological and institutional infrastructure deficiencies. This chapter provides an overview of the concept of marginality and offers a synthesis of the findings of all the chapters in this volume. A review of policies intended to reduce marginality suggests that none of the marginality determinants need to be accepted as long term. Coherent policies and actions, however, need to match the systemic causality of marginality in order to be effective.

This chapter presents an interdisciplinary framework for the investigation of marginality which is inclusive of the diversity of existing poverty research approaches. Marginality is presented as a systemic and evolutionary concept with particular reference to the role of institutions that constrain or motivate actions as measured against a performance indicator such as productivity growth. Based on a brief review of marginality research in social, economic, and development fields, this chapter presents a definition of marginality and explains the differences between this conceptual framework and those of poverty. Finally, the components of the framework and its interrelationships are described and awareness for the need for further research on marginality is raised.

This chapter focuses on exclusion. It reconstructs the definition of exclusion and its various facets by applying a set of principles that underlie economic analyses. The analysis reveals that many initiatives to reduce exclusion under the umbrella of safety nets often lead to the introduction of differentiated products in segmented markets that may actually contribute to the perpetuation of differentiations within a population. The relations between contracts, goods and services, and exclusions are highlighted. A typology of exclusion is described by the author with the help of a supply and demand analysis of services, including: voluntary exclusion, exclusion due to a lack of awareness, exclusion for survival, exclusion due to a lack of demand, and exclusion caused by “distance” such as social exclusion or poor connectivity.

The authors analyze the concept of marginality from an ecological perspective and provide examples of some mechanisms of marginalization. Marginalization cannot solely be described as an ecological phenomenon, but rather occurs via the interplay of ecological and social aspects of complex arrangements. Hence the use of socio-ecological systems as a conceptual unit is proposed. One way to combat marginalization is to increase the resilience and adaptability of these systems. However, multiple needs must be considered simultaneously, including: food security, income generation, or ecosystem services. Research on marginality in the context of interlinked socio-ecological, complex, and dynamic systems demands paradigm shifts in scientific disciplines that are beginning to merge.

In this chapter the authors applied innovative Geographical Information Systems mapping techniques to illustrate spatial dimensions of marginality at continental and regional levels. They sought to make the marginalized and poor more visible by identifying areas where many poor people live under difficult biophysical and socio-economic conditions. A broad set of variables covering ecological, social, and economic dimensions were described using existing datasets to identify ‘marginality hotspots’ which were then overlaid with poverty distribution data. Areas where a high percentage of poor people coincided with marginality hotspots were found in Central and South East Africa, especially the northern parts of Niger and in Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Malawi, and Burundi.

This chapter provides a global quantitative perspective on where the world’s poor and particularly the poorest live, and the extent of progress made in the reduction of income poverty close to and far below the international poverty line (US$1.25/day per capita) over the past two decades. The characteristics of the ultra-poor are identified based on a quantitative assessment across developing countries. Poverty reduction from 1990 to 2008 was quite equal between those who are somewhat below that poverty line and the ultra-poor—in fact it slightly favored the ultra-poor. This suggests that the theory of enduring poverty traps may not be holding true for those in ultra-poverty in recent years, as this pattern is different compared to earlier global findings. For interventions to reach the ultra-poor (i.e., those living on less than US$0.63/day) effectively, geographically marginal households should be targeted; and the low-levels of education, and in the case of Asia, landlessness should be taken into account.

Programs to alleviate poverty and hunger are most effective when they reach the poorest and most vulnerable, however, identifying target groups is often difficult. This chapter focuses on geographic and beneficiary targeting mechanisms for safety-nets, along with the strengths and limitations of each approach. Different modalities of beneficiary targeting of the poorest and most vulnerable groups were examined with examples from the United Nations World Food Programme safety-net initiatives in Bangladesh. The chapter highlights the importance of strengthening targeting mechanisms in government operated safety-net programs and improving relevant governmental capacity.

This chapter examines the determinants of extreme poverty in rural Ethiopia at the household level using indicators that reflect consumption expenditures, dietary calorie intake, and household assets. The descriptive analyses results indicated that ultra-poverty in the household consumption dimension was positively associated with distance from educational and health facilities, roads, and other infrastructure. The results of an econometric model showed that ultra-poverty was positively and significantly associated with household size and the age of the household head, and inversely associated with the ownership of farming assets and livestock.

This chapter offers a psychological understanding of the experience of social marginality as viewed from the perspective of young girls from the Indian province of Gujarat. Secure attachments are one of the primary ‘capabilities’ that have direct bearing on an individual’s sense of identity and freedom. Insecure attachments, particularly dismissing kinds, lead to inhibitions in personality development and build up layers of shame and self-doubt. The author examines how the psyche is tormented by repeated experiences of social marginalization in the form of dismissal at the hands of family, and how shame becomes an abiding emotion—creating further doubts, disenfranchisement, and alienation.

Marginal areas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have historically offered low productivity potential and low returns on investments in agricultural productivity growth. Population and agricultural market dynamics in Africa are improving the prospects for productivity-enhancing investments in this environment. In this chapter the authors introduce an opportunity cost framework to demonstrate where agricultural development is now an opportune strategy to reduce marginality in SSA and to guide strategic priority setting for public investment for the sustainable improvement of agricultural productivity. It then lays out policy and technology priorities for sustainable development of marginal production environments.