Resumen

SANCHEZ CARBALLO, Alfredo; RUIZ SANCHEZ, Joel  y  BARRERA ROJAS, Miguel Ángel. The transformation of the concept of poverty: a challenge for the social sciences. Intersticios sociales [online]. 2020, n.19, pp.39-65.  Epub 24-Feb-2020. ISSN 2007-4964.

The objective of this essay is to reflect upon the concept of poverty derived from a European tradition and its transformation over time, and to relate this conceptualization to current work in social science. Poverty has been defined in terms of income, expenditures, and unsatisfied basic needs, as well as multidimensional measurements, through a process in constant evolution. In Latin America, the importance of this discussion resides in the fact that poverty is a social phenomenon studied from diverse perspectives, including social psychology, economics, sociology and anthropology, among others, each one of which offers specific conceptual coordinates. However, it seems that their conceptualizations tend towards complexity, despite the marked interest in distinguishing between ‘relative’ and ‘absolute’ poverty. The essay concludes that, based on the inheritance and transformation of the concept of poverty, the social sciences should address the challenge of criticizing the hegemonic western position regarding the conceptualization of a social phenomenon that, like poverty, goes beyond mere economic elements.

Palabras llave : poverty; social sciences; concept; Latin America.