Open AccessThe attitude and vulnerability of people as determinants of poverty: The case of Lesotho
Author(s) -
E.M. Ueckermann,
James Nelson Blignaut
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
suid-afrikaanse tydskrif vir ekonomiese en bestuurswetenskappe/south african journal of economic and management sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.277
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 2222-3436
pISSN - 1015-8812
DOI - 10.4102/sajems.v8i4.1176
Subject(s) - poverty , vulnerability (computing) , development economics , economics , poverty reduction , measuring poverty , economic growth , political science , computer security , computer science
Lesotho is one of the poorest countries in the world. After reviewing the growth and poverty debate, which suggests that policy reforms and economic growth have largely failed to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in Lesotho, the paper explores the core constraints to poverty reduction. It is argued that the attitudes of the people in Lesotho and the extent to which they are vulnerable to exogenous shocks are important variables towards removing structural and fundamental constraints that impede poverty alleviation. To quantify the values of attitude and vulnerability, an econometric model is constructed that uses an HSRC public perceptions survey in Lesotho. The economic significance of this alternative measure provides a new dynamic on how to approach the issue of poverty alleviation in Lesotho