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Sabina Alkire

Contact

sabina.alkire@qeh.ox.ac.uk
+44 (0)1865 271915

Research interests

Development economics; human development; the capability approach; measurement

Sabina Alkire

Director, OPHI, and Professor of Poverty and Human Development

Sabina Alkire directs the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at ODID.

Her research interests include multidimensional poverty measurement and analysis, welfare economics, the capability approach, the measurement of freedoms and human development. 

Together with Professor James Foster, she developed the Alkire-Foster (AF) method for measuring multidimensional poverty, a flexible technique that can incorporate different dimensions, or aspects of poverty, to create measures tailored to each context. With colleagues at OPHI this has been applied and implemented empirically to produce a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The MPI offers a tool to identify who is poor by considering the range of deprivations they suffer. It is used to report a headline figure of poverty (the MPI), which can be unpacked to provide a detailed information platform for policy design showing how people are poor nationally, and how they are poor by areas, groups, and by each indicator.

Previously, she worked at the George Washington University, Harvard University, the Human Security Commission, and the World Bank. She has a DPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford.

She holds a DPhil in Economics, an Msc in Economics for Development and an MPhil in Christian Political Ethics from the University of Oxford.

Sabina Alkire teaches research methods and lectures on the core course in development studies for the MPhil in Development Studies, as well as offering an option on Poverty and Human Development. 

Doctoral students supervised

  • Books and monographs

    Alkire, Sabina (with Paola Ballon, James Foster, Jose Manuel Roche, Maria Emma Santos, Suman Seth )(2015) 'Multidimensional Poverty Measurement and Analysis: A Counting Approach ', Oxford: Oxford University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (with F Comim, M Qizilbash )(2008) '(eds) The Capability Approach: Concepts, Measures and Applications ', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2005) 'Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction ', Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Chapters

    Alkire, Sabina (with Jose Manuel Roche )(2012) 'Beyond Headcount: The Alkire-Foster Approach to Multidimensional Child Poverty Measurement ', Child Poverty and Inequality: New Perspectives UNICEF
    Alkire, Sabina (2011) 'Multidimensional Poverty and Its Discontents ', Measure for Measure: How Well do We Measure Development? Paris: AFD, EUDN
    Alkire, Sabina (2010) 'Development: A Misconceived Theory Can Kill ', Amartya Sen: Contemporary Philosophy in Focus Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (with M E Santos )(2009) 'Poverty and Inequality Measurement ', An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach: Freedom and Agency Earthscan and International Development Research Centre
    Alkire, Sabina (2009) 'The Capability Approach as a Development Paradigm ', Debating Global Society: Reach and Limits of the Capability Approach Milan: Feltrinelli Foundation
    Alkire, Sabina (with S Deneulin )(2009) 'A Normative Framework for Development ', An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach: Freedom and Agency Earthscan, International Development Research Centre
    Alkire, Sabina (with S Deneulin )(2009) 'The Human Development and Capability Approach ', An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach: Freedom and Agency Earthscan and International Development Research Centre
    Alkire, Sabina (with J Foster )(2009) 'Counting and Multidimensional Poverty ', The Poorest and Hungry: Assessment, Analysis and Actions Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute
    Alkire, Sabina (2008) 'Using the Capability Approach: Prospective and Evaluative Analyses ', The Capability Approach: Concepts, Measures and Applications Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2008) 'Choosing Dimensions: The Capability Approach and Multidimensional Poverty ', The Many Dimensions of Poverty Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
    Alkire, Sabina (with F Comim, M Qizilbash )(2008) 'Introduction ', The Capability Approach: Concepts, Measures and Applications Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2008) 'Concepts and Measures of Agency ', Arguments for a Better World: Essasys in Honour of Amartya Sen; Volume 1: Ethics, Welfare and Measurement Oxford: Oxford University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2007) 'Measuring Freedoms Alongside Well-Being ', Well-Being in Developing Countries: New Approaches and Research Strategies Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2006) 'Needs and Capabilities ', The Philosophy of Need Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2006) 'Religion and Development ', The Elgar Companion to Development Studies Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
    Alkire, Sabina (2006) 'Structural Injustice and Democratic Practice: The Trajectory in Sen's Writings ', Transforming Unjust Structures: The Capability Approach Dordrecht: Springer
    Alkire, Sabina (with L Chen )(2006) 'Medical Exceptionalism in International Migration: Should Doctors and Nurses be Treated Differently? ', Globalizing Migration Regimes Aldershot: Ashgate
    Alkire, Sabina (2006) 'Public Debate and Value Construction in Sen's Approach ', Capabilities Equality: Basic Issues and Problems London: Routledge
    Alkire, Sabina (2004) 'The Role of External Actors ', Culture and Public Action: A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue on Development Policy Stanford: Stanford University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2003) 'Concepts of Human Security ', Human Insecurity in a Global World Cambridge: Harvard Univeristy Press
    Alkire, Sabina (with S Deneulin )(2002) 'Individual Motivation, Its Nature, Determinants and Consequences for Within-Group Behaviour ', Group Motivation and Development: Is the Market Destroying Cooperation? Oxford: Oxford University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2002) 'Global Citizenship and Common Values ', Global Citizenship: A Critical Reader Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
    Alkire, Sabina (2001) 'The Basic Dimensions of Human Flourishing: A Comparison of Accounts ', The Revival of Natural Law Aldershot: Ashgate
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