The course deals with the theory and methodology aimed at measuring poverty, inequality and well-being. Particular attention is given to the construction of indicators and to present their main applications. The course also provides an introduction to longitudinal and multilevel models for poverty research.
The textbooks will be announced at the beginning of classes.
Obiettivi Formativi
The course aims at providing knowledge and competences about the indicators construction and application.
Prerequisiti
Knowledge of basic multivariate statistics.
Metodi Didattici
Lectures, seminars and lab sessions.
Use of e-learning platform Moodle where, in particular, will be upload the teaching materials.
Altre Informazioni
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Modalità di verifica apprendimento
Individual oral examination based on a written exam.
A mini-project report (details will be given during the course).
Programma del corso
Part I
Steps for constructing a composite indicator
Developing a theoretical framework
Selecting variables
Reducing the complexity
The approaches to reduction
Synthesis of indicators: different perspectives
Synthesis of indicators: technical issues (aggregative-compensative approaches and non-compensative approaches)
Representing the complexity (dashboards)
Explaining the complexity: modeling indicators
Part II
Measures of poverty and economic wellbeing
Data and statistical methods for examining poverty determinants
Types of designs and data
Distinguishing causality from association in poverty research
Longitudinal data and models for studying poverty
Multilevel data and models for studying poverty
Part III
What are the spatial data
Spatial data types
The spatial contiguity
Spatial weighting matrices
The statistical sources of spatial data
Global and local autocorrelation
Global indices of spatial autocorrelation and spatial correlogram
Indices of spatial autocorrelation and local Moran scatterplot