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Understanding Material Deprivation in Europe: A Multilevel Analysis

Author

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  • Christopher T. Whelan

    (School of Sociology and Geary Institute, University College Dublin)

  • Bertrand Maître

    (Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin)

Abstract

In this paper, taking advantage of the inclusion of a special module on material deprivation in EU-SILC 2009, we provide a comparative analysis of patterns of deprivation. Our analysis identifies six relatively distinct dimensions of deprivation with generally satisfactory overall levels of reliability and mean levels of reliability across counties. Multi-level analysis based on 28 European countries reveals systematic variation across countries in the relative importance of with and between country variation. The basic deprivation dimension is the sole dimension to display a graduated pattern of variation a across countries. It also reveals the highest correlations with national and household income, the remaining deprivation dimensions and economic stress. It comes closest to capturing an underlying dimension of generalized deprivation that can provide the basis for a comparative European analysis of exclusion from customary standards of living. A multilevel analysis revealed that a range of household and household reference person socio-economic factors were related to basic deprivation and controlling for contextual differences in such factors allowed us to account for substantial proportions of both within and between country variance. The addition of macro-economic factors relating to average levels of disposable income and income inequality contributed relatively little further in the way of explanatory power. Further analysis revealed the existence of a set of significant interactions between micro socio-economic attributes and country level gross national disposable income per capita. The impact of socio-economic differentiation was significantly greater where average income levels were lower. Or, in other words, the impact of the latter was greater for more disadvantaged socio-economic groups. Our analysis supports the suggestion that an emphasis on the primary role of income inequality to the neglect of differences in absolute levels of income may be misleading in important respects.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher T. Whelan & Bertrand Maître, 2012. "Understanding Material Deprivation in Europe: A Multilevel Analysis," Working Papers 201205, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucd:wpaper:201205
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kenworthy, Lane, 2013. "Progress for the Poor," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199676927.
    2. Romina Boarini & Marco Mira d'Ercole, 2006. "Measures of Material Deprivation in OECD Countries," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 37, OECD Publishing.
    3. Daniele Checchi & Jelle Visser & Herman G. Van De Werfhorst, 2010. "Inequality and Union Membership: The Influence of Relative Earnings and Inequality Attitudes," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(1), pages 84-108, March.
    4. Nolan, Brian & Whelan, Christopher T., 2011. "Poverty and Deprivation in Europe," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199588435.
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    Cited by:

    1. Abigail Mcknight & Brian Nolan, 2012. "GINI Intermediate Report WP 4: Social Impacts of Inequalities," GINI Discussion Papers wp4, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    2. Christopher Whelan & Bertrand Maitre, 2012. "GINI DP 36: Material deprivation, economic stress and reference groups in Europe: An analysis of EU-SILC 2009," GINI Discussion Papers 36, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    3. Eva Kovářová & Tereza Vašenková, 2024. "Incidence of Poverty in Working-age Population in EU Countries: A Gender Perspective," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2024(4), pages 444-477.
    4. E. Bárcena-Martín & B. Lacomba & A. I. Moro-Egido & S. Pérez-Moreno, 2014. "Country Differences in Material Deprivation in Europe," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(4), pages 802-820, December.
    5. Sabine Israel, 2016. "More than Cash: Societal Influences on the Risk of Material Deprivation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 619-637, November.
    6. Carmelo García-Pérez & Yolanda González-González & Mercedes Prieto-Alaiz, 2017. "Identifying the Multidimensional Poor in Developed Countries Using Relative Thresholds: An Application to Spanish Data," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 291-303, March.
    7. Bárcena-Martín, Elena & Blázquez, Maite & Moro-Egido, Ana I., 2020. "The role of income pooling and decision-making responsibilities in material deprivation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 416-428.
    8. Christopher T. Whelan & Brian Nolan & Bertrand Maître, 2012. "Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Europe: An Application of the Adjusted Headcount Approach," Working Papers 201211, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    9. Wiemer Salverda & Christina Haas & Marloes Graaf-zijl & Bram Lancee & Natascha Notten & Tahnee Ooms, 2013. "GINI Country Report: Growing Inequalities and their Impacts in the Netherlands," GINI Country Reports netherlands, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    10. Hanna Dudek & Wiesław Szczesny, 2021. "Multidimensional material deprivation in Poland: a focus on changes in 2015–2017," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 741-763, April.

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    Keywords

    deprivation; economics; income; socio-economic differentiation; multi-level analysis;
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