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Author

Deepa Narayan

Other affiliations: University of Oxford
Bio: Deepa Narayan is an academic researcher from World Bank. The author has contributed to research in topics: Poverty & Empowerment. The author has an hindex of 26, co-authored 44 publications receiving 13928 citations. Previous affiliations of Deepa Narayan include University of Oxford.

Papers
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MonographDOI
31 Oct 1997
TL;DR: In this article, the power and utility of participatory methods for policy research is demonstrated and processes that can tap the knowledge the poor have about their own reality by comparing and contrasting with findings from more conventional household consumption and expenditure surveys, identifying poverty indicators used by local people at the village level.
Abstract: This study reveals the power and utility of participatory methods for policy research It demonstrates practices and processes that can tap the knowledge the poor have about their own reality By comparing and contrasting findings from participatory methods with findings from more conventional household consumption and expenditure surveys, the study identifies poverty indicators used by local people at the village level It also shows how using these measures leads to different conclusions about the causes and nature of poverty and reveals the policy and institutional methods that can best address the problem and how development policies must take gender differences into account if they are to be effective The study also demystifies the concept of social capital at the local level and provides quantifiable evidence that village-level social capital -- membership in groups with particular characteristics -- significantly affects household welfare

353 citations

MonographDOI
TL;DR: The Empowerment Sourcebook (2002) as discussed by the authors ) is a collection of perspectives from experts in the fields of economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology and political science to describe empowerment concepts and methods.
Abstract: This title builds on the Empowerment Sourcebook (2002) by addressing the question of how to measure empowerment. It brings together perspectives from experts in the fields of economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology and political science. Case studies and reports on recent experience in measuring empowerment in different contexts are used to describe empowerment concepts and methods, as well as their practical application at four distinct levels of intervention: individual, gender and household, communities and local governance, and national.

342 citations

Book
01 Mar 2000
TL;DR: Voices of the Poor as mentioned in this paper is a three-part series that brings together the voices of over 40000 poor people from 50 countries as based on a review of 81 Participatory Poverty Assessment reports, and provides rich descriptions of poor peoples realities drawing on their experiences of poverty and the quality of their interactions with a range of institutions from the state to the household.
Abstract: This book is the first in a three-part series entitled Voices of the Poor. It brings together the voices of over 40000 poor people from 50 countries as based on a review of 81 Participatory Poverty Assessment reports. It also provides rich descriptions of poor peoples realities drawing on their experiences of poverty and the quality of their interactions with a range of institutions from the state to the household.

301 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: Grootaert and Narayan as discussed by the authors investigated the impact of social capital on household welfare in Bolivia and found that social capital, including membership in an association such as an agrarian syndicate, reduces the probability of being poor.
Abstract: Social capital - including membership in an association such as an agrarian syndicate - reduces the probability of being poor in Bolivia. The returns to household investment in social capital are generally greater for the poor than for the rich, and greater for households with little land than for those with more land. Returns to such membership for Bolivia's poorest exceed returns to education and other assets. Grootaert and Narayan empirically estimate the impact of social capital on household welfare in Bolivia - where they found 67 different types of local associations. They focus on household memberships in local associations as being especially relevant to daily decisions that affect household welfare and consumption. On average, households belong to 1.4 groups and associations: 62 percent belong to agrarian syndicates, 16 percent to production groups, 13 percent to social service groups, and 10 percent to education and health groups. Smaller numbers belong to religious and government groups. Agrarian syndicates, created by government decree in 1952, are now viewed mainly as community-initiated institutions to manage communal resources. They have been registered as legal entities to work closely with municipalities to represent the interests and priorities of local people in municipal decisionmaking. The effects of social capital operate through (at least) three mechanisms: sharing of information among association members; the reduction of opportunistic behavior; and better collective decisionmaking. The effect of social capital on household welfare was found to be 2.5 times that of human capital. Increasing the average educational endowment of each adult in the household by one year (about a 25-percent increase) would increase per capita household spending 4.2 percent; a similar increase in the social capital endowment would increase spending 9 to 10.5 percent. They measured social capital along six dimensions: density of memberships, internal heterogeneity of associations (by gender, age, education, religion, etc.), meeting attendance, active participation in decisionmaking, payment of dues (in cash and in kind), and community orientation. The strongest effect came from number of memberships. Active membership in an agrarian syndicate is associated with an average 11.5 percent increase in household spending. Membership in another local association is associated with a 5.3-percent higher spending level. Empirical results partly confirm the hypothesis that social capital provides long-term benefits such as better access to credit and a higher level of trust in the community as a source of assistance in case of need. This paper - a joint product of the Social Development Department and the Poverty Division, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network - is part of a larger effort in the Bank to understand better the role of local institutions, and social capital in general, for poverty reduction.

236 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: Voices of the Poor as mentioned in this paper is a three-part series of interviews with more than 60,000 poor men and women from sixty countries to understand what it means to be poor from the perspective of poor people.
Abstract: This is the final book in a three-part series entitled, "Voices of the Poor." The series is based on an unprecedented effort to gather the views, experiences, and aspirations of more than 60,000 poor men and women from sixty countries. The work was undertaken for the "World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty." This publication is organized as follows: Each country chapter opens up with a brief life story. These life stories were chosen because they highlight concerns raised not only by poor women and men living in that particular community, but because the same concerns were echoed in other parts of the country. The chapters then unfold around particular sets of issues that emerged repeatedly in group discussions and individual interviews. While the findings reported in the chapters cannot be generalized to represent poverty conditions for an entire nation, the chapters bring to life what it means to be poor in various communities, in fourteen countries, from the perspective of poor people. In the final chapter, four major patterns emerge: Poor people need a diverse set of assets and capabilities if they are to survive and overcome poverty. Economy-wide policies and shocks deplete poor people's assets and increase their insecurity. The culture of mediating institutions often negatively distorts the impact of well-intended policies and excludes the poor from gains. Gender inequity within households is persistent and children are acutely vulnerable.

195 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A growing number of sociologists, political scientists, economists, and organizational theorists have invoked the concept of social capital in the search for answers to a broadening range of questions being confronted in their own fields as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A growing number of sociologists, political scientists, economists, and organizational theorists have invoked the concept of social capital in the search for answers to a broadening range of questions being confronted in their own fields. Seeking to clarify the concept and help assess its utility for organizational theory, we synthesize the theoretical research undertaken in these various disciplines and develop a common conceptual framework that identifies the sources, benefits, risks, and contingencies of social capital.

8,518 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used indicators of trust and civic norms from the World Values Surveys for a sample of 29 market economies and found that membership in formal groups is not associated with trust or with improved economic performance.
Abstract: This paper presents evidence that "social capital" matters for measurable economic performance, using indicators of trust and civic norms from the World Values Surveys for a sample of 29 market economies. Memberships in formal groups—Putnam's measure of social capital—is not associated with trust or with improved economic performance. We find trust and civic norms are stronger in nations with higher and more equal incomes, with institutions that restrain predatory actions of chief executives, and with better-educated and ethnically homogeneous populations.

6,894 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: A theme of the text is the use of artificial regressions for estimation, reference, and specification testing of nonlinear models, including diagnostic tests for parameter constancy, serial correlation, heteroscedasticity, and other types of mis-specification.
Abstract: Offering a unifying theoretical perspective not readily available in any other text, this innovative guide to econometrics uses simple geometrical arguments to develop students' intuitive understanding of basic and advanced topics, emphasizing throughout the practical applications of modern theory and nonlinear techniques of estimation. One theme of the text is the use of artificial regressions for estimation, reference, and specification testing of nonlinear models, including diagnostic tests for parameter constancy, serial correlation, heteroscedasticity, and other types of mis-specification. Explaining how estimates can be obtained and tests can be carried out, the authors go beyond a mere algebraic description to one that can be easily translated into the commands of a standard econometric software package. Covering an unprecedented range of problems with a consistent emphasis on those that arise in applied work, this accessible and coherent guide to the most vital topics in econometrics today is indispensable for advanced students of econometrics and students of statistics interested in regression and related topics. It will also suit practising econometricians who want to update their skills. Flexibly designed to accommodate a variety of course levels, it offers both complete coverage of the basic material and separate chapters on areas of specialized interest.

4,284 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors trace the evolution of social capital research as it pertains to economic development and identify four distinct approaches the research has taken : communitarian, networks, institutional, and synergy.
Abstract: In the 1990s the concept of social capital defined here as the norms and networks that enable people to act collectively enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence across all the social science disciplines. The authors trace the evolution of social capital research as it pertains to economic development and identify four distinct approaches the research has taken : communitarian, networks, institutional, and synergy. The evidence suggests that of the four, the synergy view, with its emphasis on incorporating different levels and dimensions of social capital and its recognition of the positive and negative outcomes that social capital can generate, has the greatest empirical support and lends itself best to comprehensive and coherent policy prescriptions. The authors argue that a significant virtue of the idea of and discourse on social capital is that it helps to bridge orthodox divides among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.

4,094 citations