Description
This substantial volume presents a dozen articles, based on numerous interviews and other research, on the human cost of poverty in the former Soviet Union. Type of employment, level of education, former and current social standing, and methods of survival are assessed for the people living in poverty in each country, with attention to poverty's impact on children, their health, and education. Two introductory chapters outline the economic changes that occurred following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the methodologies used in the volume. The authors are sociologists and anthropologists affiliated with the World Bank and US universities. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Over the past decade, the World Bank has evolved its analysis and reporting on poverty to a multi-dimensional view which includes issues of vulnerability, social isolation, and powerlessness. This broader construct, which considers the concepts of social exclusion and social capital, suggests the need for augmenting quantitative research with qualitative research. Qualitative research provides a focus on understanding human behavior, perceptions and practices that can then be applied to policy development.This report presents specific examples drawn from World Bank work completed in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Each of these examples illustrates the gains that can be derived from combining the use of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
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