Journal Article

Multilevel Analysis of Factors Related to Poverty in Welfare States

Lee, Yongwoo, Lee, Yu-jeong, Kim, Kyo-seong

2010

Overview

This study aims to investigate factors contributing to poverty, one of the most significant social problems in Western societies. To this end, 13 countries that have made a variety of efforts to reduce poverty, and therefore experienced similar development processes related to welfare, were selected. To overcome the methodological limitations of previous studies, the study utilized a Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model to simultaneously analyze individual-level and state-level factors that might affect the poverty status of a household, employing household data from the fifth wave of Luxembourg Income Study and Comparative Welfare State data. By comparing the magnitude of individual- and state-level effects in the analysis process, the model can empirically illuminate which of the two levels is more responsible for households' destitution. Furthermore, by analyzing the level of and characteristics of poverty in each country, this study examines whether there are discrepancies in the level of poverty across types of welfare states and what factors contribute to these discrepancies.

• Publisher: Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands,Springer,Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Antipoverty Programs / Children / Cross Cultural Studies / Development / Discrepancies / Economic development / Economic Factors / Economic Status / Education / Educational Attainment / Empirical research / Employment Level / Expenditures / Foreign Countries / Generalized linear models / Hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) / Hierarchical linear model (HLM) / History, theory and methodology / Households / Human capital / Human Geography / Income / Income inequality / Income-maintenance policy / Individual Characteristics / Individual differences / Labor market / Labor markets / Linear analysis / Luxembourg / Marital Status / Market segmentation / Methodology / Microeconomics / Modelling / Multilevel analysis / Multilevel models / Older people / Poverty / Poverty rates / Public assistance programs / Public Health / Public social expenditure / Quality of Life Research / Social conditions / Social expenditures / Social Indicators / Social Problems / Social research / Social Sciences / Social Systems / Sociology / Statistical analysis / Statistical variance / Studies / Variables / Welfare Services / Welfare State / Western Society