Poverty in Mexico : the development of a relative poverty line for the twenty first century

Poverty is a severe problem in Mexico. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, approximately half of the Mexican population suffers from poverty, according to official estimates. In 2000, for the first time in Mexican history, the government calculated an official poverty line. At first glance, the existence of an official poverty line may be seen as helpful not only because it indicates an official recognition of the problem, but also because it could serve as a benchmark for measuring any potential improvement in the battle against poverty. However, in practice this situation is not so straightforward. I demonstrate in this study that the official poverty line is misleading regarding the patterns of poverty in Mexico, in terms of the definition and measurement of the condition of poverty, and the necessary policy actions to overcome it. In order to challenge the governmental approach I review the academic debates on poverty, in particular in 'North' countries, and the analysis of current academic practices in Mexico. According to these theoretical bases, this study applies for the first time concerning the Mexican case a conception of poverty as relative deprivation using the sociological notion of citizenship as an indicator to define 'normal' standards of living, and taking it as a benchmark to measure poverty. Based on this alternative concept of poverty, this thesis analyses the failure of antipoverty policies in Mexico, and proposes guidelines for alternative policy making.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo