Social Movements and the Politicization of Chronic Poverty

Bibliographic Data

ID3885275
AuthorsAnthony J Bebbington (0000-0003-3342-7898, University of Manchester, corresponding author), Anthony Bebbington
Year2007
Volume38
Issue5
Pages793-818
Publication date2007-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopment and Change (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-155X • E-ISSN: 1467-7660
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-7660.2007.00434.x
OpenAlexW2137124972
LanguageEN
Citations received38
References cited42

Discussions of chronic poverty emphasize the extent to which poverty endures because of the social relationships and structures within which particular social groups are embedded. In this sense chronic poverty is a socio-political relationship rather than a condition of assetless-ness. Understood as such, processes of social mobilization become central to any discussion of chronic poverty because they are vehicles through which such relationships are argued over in society and potentially changed. This article explores the ways in which social movements, as one form of such mobilization, might affect chronic poverty. Four domains are discussed: influencing the underlying dynamics of the political economy of poverty; challenging dominant meanings of poverty in society; direct effects on the assets of the poor; and engaging with the state. The inherent fragilities of social movements limit these contributions, the most important of which is to destabilize taken-for-granted, hegemonic discourses on poverty and its reduction

Affect (linguistics) · Basic needs · Chronic poverty · Culture of poverty · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Hegemony · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Poverty · Poverty reduction · Social movement · Sociology · Homelessness and Social Issues · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies