Developing a child-focused and multidimensional model of child poverty for South Africa

Abstract

This paper presents a new method of measuring child poverty in South Africa, based on a theoretically sound distinction between the conceptualization, definition, measurement, and enumeration of poverty. Conceptual frameworks, definitions, and measurements of poverty are briefly reviewed in the international and South African contexts. This paper presents a childcentered, multidimensional model of child poverty with both absolute and relative poverty components. The absolute core of this model follows the Copenhagen Declaration and includes basic needs such as food and shelter. This is complemented by a relative component, using a multidimensional conceptualization of poverty, and based on a child's ability to participate fully in South African society. The dimensions, or domains of deprivation, for both absolute core and relative aspects can be the same; eight exemplar domains are presented here. Located between the model's relative and absolute components and equally relevant to both components is found a ring of indicators relating to access to good-quality services. We argue that relative poverty can be defined both by consensually agreed upon necessities for societal inclusion and by research-delineated child needs. This approach, while presenting challenges for measurement, will provide policy makers with a better evidence base for combating child poverty.

A Geographical Profile of Child Deprivation in South Africa

“…Other healthrelated administrative sources could perhaps be used in future to construct indicators (see below). Other domains recognised as important include physical safety, abuse, social capital and access to services (Noble et al 2006b), but again the Census lacks either any or satisfactory data on these aspects of deprivation.…”

“…Heeding recent calls for child-focused research internationally and in South Africa (Coetzee and Streak 2004;Dawes et al 2007;Guthrie et al 2003;Noble et al 2006bStreak 2005), it is also essential that these measures focus specifically on children rather than simply treating children as elements of the household or family. This article describes the first attempt in South Africa to generate data of this nature, to map child deprivation at municipality level 4 and identify the areas of greatest need, in order to inform local level policy and intervention.…”

Girls in Transition—How to Build Evidence and Gain Insight

“…The comparative child poverty studies by Gordon et al (2003a, b) and Bradshaw et al (2006) as well as the country-specific studies by Noble et al (2006) and Roelen et al (2009a, b) employ a single concept of child poverty for children in different stages of childhood. A very limited number of studies have focused on children in specific age groups and adolescents in particular.…”

Child Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Call for a Rights-Based Global Research Agenda

“…Researchers, academics, politicians and analysts in the field argue that there is a need to undertake detailed studies on child rights and child poverty in the sub-Saharan African context (Ashiabi, 2007;Barnes et al, 2009;Barrientos & DeJong, 2006;Black, Morris & Bryce, 2003;Camfield, 2010;Dawes et al, 2007;Dinbabo, 2011;Gordon et al, 2003;Grodem, 2008;Levine, Van der Berg & Yu, 2011;Lund et al 2009;Lund et al, 2008;Meintjes & Hall, 2009;Noble et al, 2007;Noble, Wright & Cluver, 2006;Tekola et al, 2009). The following section provides a brief summary of selected literature in the field.…”

“…Many analysts Gordon et al, 2003;Grodem, 2008;Lund et al, 2008;Noble et al, 2007;Noble, Wright and Cluver, 2006) have suggested a combination of monetary and deprivation approaches to assess child poverty. As the shortcomings of traditional definitions of and approaches to child poverty measurements have become more apparent, Noble et al (2007), in the historical context of South Africa, proposed a multidimensional model of child poverty.…”