Abstract:

While many countries define poverty in a relative manner, whereby poverty threshold is set at 40% to 60% of median income, some countries use absolute definitions, according to which being poor implies lacking the minimum amount of income for meeting some basic living conditions, e.g. proper nutrition, shelter, physical and mental health, access to clean water, and so on. Recently conservative politicians and parties have suggested that the relative definition of poverty should be abandoned and that absolute measures should be applied. Those promoting defining poverty in relative terms answer, quite rightly, that the most important reason for sticking to the relative measure is that it is more sensitive to inequalities in society. In that sense Living in dignity in the 21^st Century is timely and important as it relates to poverty and inequality as a single issue. Moreover, the authors also tie in the two with human rights as well. Therefore this book can be described as a non-neutral (although very objective) treatment of poverty, and should be of interest not only to students and researchers of poverty but also to NGOs and decision makers. It is written in a very accessible manner, and while the book is not jargon free, the authors explain all the concepts very clearly, using, among other things, comics.