Changing the Lens on Poverty Research

Posted January 21, 2018

External Article: The Social Work Helper

Shatakshee Dhongde, associate professor in the School of Economics at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was the subject of the Social Work Helper, January 21, article, “Changing the Lens on Poverty Research.” The School of Economics is part of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Using an innovative technique to measure poverty, a Georgia Institute of Technology economics professor has found that more older Americans live in deprivation than official statistics suggest. Shatakshee Dhongde, associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, found that 12.27 percent of senior citizens were deprived in two or more crucial areas, including multiple disabilities, low income, a lack of education, and severe housing burden. Dhongde said the research illustrates a shortcoming in the official measure of poverty in the United States, which focuses solely on income. The federal government reported that 9.5 percent of older Americans were living in poverty in 2013. That is below the 12.3 percent rate found in Dhondge’s multidimensional poverty index.

For the full article, visit the Social Work Helper website.

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