Narratives, Stories and Tales: Understanding Poverty Dynamics Through Life Histories

Uma Kothari, University of Manchester, David Hulme and University of Manchester

No GPRG-WPS-011, Economics Series Working Papers from University of Oxford, Department of Economics

Abstract: The study of poverty dynamics has been dominated by the quantitative analysis of panel datasets. These can identify patterns and correlates of economic and social mobility but have found it difficult to explain why these occur. This paper examines how qualitative research methods, and in particular life history methodologies, can provide a means for explaining poverty dynamics. It considers the strengths and limitations of using qualitative evidence and the role of life histories in providing deep insights into the lived realities of the poor. Subsequently it provides an illustration of the use of a life history to understand the poverty dynamics of a single poor household in Bangladesh. The way in which such narratives can complement and counter official and institutional explanations of change and deepen the understandings gained from more `conventional` datasets is then discussed. In conclusion, it argues that the understanding of poverty dynamics necessitates the adoption of multiple methodologies used flexibly to supplement, complement and counter one another.

Keywords: Life Histories; Poverty Dynamics; Bangladesh; South Asia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005-01-01
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