Sabina Alkire

Sabina Alkire
Alkire in 2019
Born	1969 (age 54–55)
Academic career
Institution	University of Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative
Field	Welfare economics, development economics, ethics
School or tradition	Capability Approach
Alma mater	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (BA) Magdalen College, University of Oxford (MPhil, MSc, DPhil)
Influences	Amartya Sen Martha Nussbaum
Contributions	Human development theory
Information at IDEAS / RePEc
Notes
Thesis                   Operationalizing Amartya Sen's capability approach to human development: a framework for identifying valuable capabilities. (1998)

Sabina Alkire is the director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), an economic research centre within the Oxford Department of International Development at the University of Oxford, England, which was established in 2007. She is a fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association. She has worked with organizations such as the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, the United Nations Human Development Programme Human Development Report Office, the European Commission, and the UK's Department for International Development.

Alkire and fellow OPHI member economist James Foster developed the Alkire Foster Method, a method of measuring multidimensional poverty. It includes identifying ‘who is poor’ by considering the range of deprivations they suffer, and aggregating that information to reflect societal poverty.

Biography

Alkire studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, graduating in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. Afterwards, Alkire moved to England and attended the University of Oxford, where she obtained a diploma of theology with a distinction in Islam in 1992. Furthering her postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, Alkire went on to receive a Master of Philosophy in Christian political ethics and a Master of Science in economics for development in 1994 and 1995, respectively. For her Master of Science thesis, "The Full or Minimally Decent Life: Empiricization of Sen’s Capabilities Approach in Poverty Measurement", she was awarded the George Webb Medley Graduate Prize by the university. Later, she gained her doctorate in economics from Magdalen College, University of Oxford in 1999. Her doctoral thesis, which demonstrated how the work of Indian economist and philosopher Amartya Sen could be coherently and practically put to use in poverty reduction activities, was later published as a monograph with the title Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction (2002).

From 1999 to 2001, Alkire worked as the coordinator for Culture and Poverty Learning-Research Program, World Bank, and PREM. Then, in 2001, she moved on to working for the Commission on Human Security as a research writer until 2003. Alkire later became a research associate at the Harvard Global Equity Initiative at Harvard University. During her time there she won the Thulin Scholar of Religion and Contemporary Culture award from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and was listed in Foreign Policy Magazine "100 global thinkers 2010".

She served as the Oliver T. Carr, Jr. Professor in International Affairs at the Elliott School at The George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. from 2015 until 2016. She currently holds positions as the director of OPHI, associate professor at the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford, and is a distinguished research affiliate of the Kellogg Institute for International studies at the University of Notre Dame.

In May 2020, Alkire was awarded the Boris Mints Institute Prize for Research of Strategic Policy Solutions to Global Challenges for her contribution to the understanding of the dynamics and implications of poverty.

Bibliography

Thesis

• Alkire, Sabina (1998). Operationalizing Amartya Sen's capability approach to human development: a framework for identifying valuable capabilities (D.Phil. thesis). University of Oxford. OCLC 43087376.

Books

• Alkire, Sabina (2002). Valuing freedoms: Sen's capability approach and poverty reduction. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199245796. Hardback.
• Alkire, Sabina (2005). Valuing freedoms: Sen's capability approach and poverty reduction. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199283316. Paperback.
• Reviewed by Robeyns, Ingrid (October 2003). "Valuing freedoms: Sen's capability approach and poverty reduction, by Sabina Alkire". Economics and Philosophy. 19 (2): 371–377. doi:10.1017/S0266267103231229. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Comim, Flavio; Qizilbash, Mozaffar (2008). The capability approach: concepts, measures and applications. Cambridge etc: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521154529.
• Alkire, Sabina; Ura, Karma; Zangmo, Tshoki (2012). GNH and the GNH Index: A short guide to gross national happiness index. Thimphu: Centre for Bhutan Studies. ISBN 9789993614661.
• Alkire, Sabina; Wangdi, Karma; Zangmo, Tshoki (2012). An extensive analysis of GNH index. Thimphu, Bhutan: Centre for Bhutan Studies. ISBN 9789993614678.

Chapters in books

2000–2004

• Alkire, Sabina (2000), "The basic dimensions of human flourishing: a comparison of accounts", in Biggar, Nigel; Black, Rufus (eds.), The revival of natural law: philosophical, theological, and ethical responses to the Finnis-Grisez School, Aldershot, Hants, England Burlington, VT: Ashgate, pp. 73–100, ISBN 9780754612629 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |editorlink1= ignored (|editor-link1= suggested) (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Deneulin, Séverine (2002), "Individual motivation, its nature, determinants and consequences for within-group behaviour", in Heyer, Judith; Stewart, Frances; Thorp, Rosemary (eds.), Group behaviour and development: is the market destroying cooperation, Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 51–73, ISBN 9780199256921
• Alkire, Sabina (2002), "Global citizenship and common values", in Dower, Nigel; Williams, John (eds.), Global citizenship: a critical reader, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 169–182, ISBN 9780748615476
• Alkire, Sabina (2003), "Public debate and value construction in Sen's approach", in Chen, Lincoln C; Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko; Seidensticker, Ellen (eds.), Human insecurity in a global world, Cambridge, Mass: Global Equity Initiative, Asia Center Harvard University Distributed by Harvard University Press, pp. 15–40, ISBN 9780674014541
• Alkire, Sabina (2004), "Public debate and value construction in Sen's approach", in Rao, Vidjayendra; Walton, Michael (eds.), Culture and public action: a cross-disciplinary dialogue on development policy, Stanford, California: Stanford University Press Stanford Social Sciences, pp. 185–209, ISBN 9780804747875
• Alkire, Sabina (2004), "Public debate and value construction in Sen's approach", in Kaufman, Alexander (ed.), Capabilities equality basic issues and problems, City: Routledge, pp. 133–154, ISBN 9780415499781

2005–2009

• Alkire, Sabina (2005), "Needs and capabilities", in Reader, Soran (ed.), The philosophy of need, Cambridge, U.K. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 229–252, ISBN 9780521678445
• Alkire, Sabina (2006), "Structural injustice and democratic practice: the trajectory in Sen's writings", in Deneulin, Séverine; Nebel, Mathias; Sagovsky, Nicholas (eds.), Transforming unjust structures: the capability approach, Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer, pp. 47–62, ISBN 9781402044328
• Alkire, Sabina; Chen, Lincoln (2006), "Medical exceptionalism in international migration: should doctors and nurses be treated differently?", in Tamas, Kristof; Palme, Joakim (eds.), Globalizing migration regimes new challenges to transnational cooperation (research in migration and ethnic relations series), Aldershot, Hants, England Burlington, VT: Ashgate, pp. 100–117, ISBN 9780754646921
• Alkire, Sabina (2007), "Religion and development", in Clark, David A (ed.), The Elgar companion to development studies, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 502–510, ISBN 9781847206244
• Alkire, Sabina (2007), "Measuring freedoms alongside well-being", in Gough, Ian; McGregor, J. Allister (eds.), Wellbeing in developing countries: from theory to research, Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 93–108, ISBN 9780521857512
• Alkire, Sabina (2007), "Choosing dimensions: the capability approach and multidimensional poverty", in Kakwani, Nanak; Silber, Jaques (eds.), The many dimensions of poverty, Basingstoke England New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 89–119, ISBN 9780230004900
• Alkire, Sabina; Comim, Flavio; Qizilbash, Mozaffar (2008), "Introduction", in Alkire, Sabina; Comim, Flavio; Qizilbash, Mozaffar (eds.), The capability approach: concepts, measures and applications, Cambridge etc: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–25, ISBN 9780521154529
• Alkire, Sabina (2008), "Using the capability approach: prospective and evaluative analyses", in Alkire, Sabina; Comim, Flavio; Qizilbash, Mozaffar (eds.), The capability approach: concepts, measures and applications, Cambridge etc: Cambridge University Press, pp. 26–50, ISBN 9780521154529
• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "Concepts and measures of agency", in Basu, Kaushik; Kanbur, Ravi (eds.), Arguments for a better world: essays in honor of Amartya Sen, volume 1 ethics, welfare and measurement, Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 455–474, ISBN 9780199239115
• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "Amartya Sen", in Peil, Jan; van Staveren, Irene (eds.), Handbook of economics and ethics, Cheltenham, UK Northampton, Massachusetts: Edward Elgar, pp. 484–492, ISBN 9781845429362
• Alkire, Sabina; Foster, James (2009), "Counting and multidimensional poverty", in von Braun, Joachim; Hill, Ruth Vargas; Pandya-Lorch, Rajul (eds.), The poorest and hungry: assessments, analyses, and actions: an IFPRI 2020 book, Washington, D.C: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), pp. 77–90, ISBN 9780896296602
• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "A normative framework for development", in Deneulin, Séverine; Shahani, Lila (eds.), An introduction to the human development and capability approach freedom and agency, Sterling, Virginia Ottawa, Ontario: Earthscan International Development Research Centre, pp. 3–21, ISBN 9781844078066
• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "The human development and capability approach", in Deneulin, Séverine; Shahani, Lila (eds.), An introduction to the human development and capability approach freedom and agency, Sterling, Virginia Ottawa, Ontario: Earthscan International Development Research Centre, pp. 22–48, ISBN 9781844078066
• Alkire, Sabina; Santos, Maria E (2009), "Poverty and inequality measurement", in Deneulin, Séverine; Shahani, Lila (eds.), An introduction to the human development and capability approach freedom and agency, Sterling, Virginia Ottawa, Ontario: Earthscan International Development Research Centre, pp. 121–161, ISBN 9781844078066
• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "The capability approach as a development paradigm", in Chiappero-Martinetti, Enrica (ed.), Debating global society: reach and limits of the capability approach, Milan: Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, ISBN 9788838002649
• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "Development: 'a misconceived theory can kill'", in Morris, Christopher (ed.), Amartya Sen, Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 191–220, ISBN 9780521618069

2010 onwards

• Alkire, Sabina (2009), "Development: a misconceived theory can kill", in Morris, Christopher W (ed.), Amartya Sen: contemporary philosophy in focus, Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 191–120, ISBN 9780521618069
• Alkire, Sabina; Roche, José Manuel (2012), "Beyond headcount: measures that reflect the breadth and components of child poverty", in Minujin, Alberto; Nandy, Shailen (eds.), Global child poverty and well-being: measurement, concepts, policy and action, Bristol, UK Chicago, IL: Policy Press, pp. 103–134, ISBN 9781847424815
• Alkire, Sabina; Roche, José Manuel (2012), "Beyond headcount: the Alkire-Foster approach to multidimensional child poverty measurement", in Ortiz, Isabel; Daniels, Louise M; Engilbertsdóttir, Sólrún (eds.), Child poverty and inequality: new perspectives, New York: UNICEF, pp. 18–22, ISBN 9781105531750
• Alkire, Sabina; Ura, Karma; Zangmo, Tshoki (2012), "5. Case study Bhutan: gross national happiness and the GNH index", in Helliwell, John; Layard, Richard; Jeffrey D, Sachs (eds.), World happiness report, New York: Earth Institute, Columbia University

Journal articles

1990–1999

• Alkire, Sabina (November 1994). "This unemployment: disaster or opportunity?". Theology. 97 (780): 402–413. doi:10.1177/0040571X9409700602. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Black, Rufus (March 1997). "A practical reasoning theory of development ethics: furthering the capabilities approach". Journal of International Development. 9 (2): 263–279. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1328(199703)9:2<263::AID-JID439>3.0.CO;2-D. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

2000–2009

• Alkire, Sabina (2002). "A conceptual framework for human security - working paper no. 2" (PDF). Center for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), Queen Elizabeth House. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (February 2002). "Dimensions of human development". World Development. 30 (2): 181–205. doi:10.1016/S0305-750X(01)00109-7. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Chen, Lincoln (September 2004). "Global health and moral values". The Lancet. 364 (9439): 1069–1074. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17063-3. PMC 7123313. PMID 15380967. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (2005). "Why the capability approach?". Journal of Human Development. 6 (1): 115–135. doi:10.1080/146498805200034275. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (October 2005). "Subjective quantitative studies of human agency". Social Indicators Research. 74 (1): 217–260. doi:10.1007/s11205-005-6525-0. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (2007). "The missing dimensions of poverty data: introduction to the special issue". Oxford Development Studies. 35 (4): 347–359. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.383.5895. doi:10.1080/13600810701701863. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Ibrahim, Solava (2007). "Agency and empowerment: a proposal for internationally comparable indicators". Oxford Development Studies. 35 (4): 379–403. doi:10.1080/13600810701701897. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Seth, Suman (July 2008). "Determining BPL status: some methodological improvements". Indian Journal of Human Development. 2 (2): 407–424. doi:10.1177/0973703020080207. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Xiaolin, Wang (2009). "Measurement of multidimensional poverty in China: estimations and policy implications". Chinese Rural Economy. 12: 4–10. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

2010 onwards

• Alkire, Sabina; Foster, James (August 2011). "Counting and multidimensional poverty measurement". Journal of Public Economics. 95 (7–8): 476–487. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.11.006. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Foster, James (June 2011). "Understandings and misunderstandings of multidimensional poverty measurement". Journal of Economic Inequality. 9 (2): 289–314. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.358.645. doi:10.1007/s10888-011-9181-4. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Foster, James; Santos, Maria E (September 2011). "Where did identification go?". Journal of Economic Inequality. 9 (3): 501–505. doi:10.1007/s10888-011-9201-4. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Santos, Maria E (June 2013). "A multidimensional approach: poverty measurement and beyond". Social Indicators Research. 112 (2): 239–257. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0257-3. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Seth, Suman (June 2013). "Selecting a targeting method to identify BPL households in India". Social Indicators Research. 112 (2): 417–446. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0254-6. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Seth, Suman (12 January 2013). "Identifying BPL households: a comparison of methods". Economic and Political Weekly. 48 (2): 49–57. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth; Peterman, Amber; Quisumbing, Agnes; Seymour, Greg; Vaz, Ana (December 2013). "The women's empowerment in agriculture index". World Development. 52: 71–91. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.06.007. hdl:10535/8724. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (July 2014). "Measuring acute poverty in the developing world: robustness and scope of the multidimensional poverty index". World Development. 59: 251–274. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.01.026. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Vaz, Ana; Pratley, Pierre (January 2016). "Measuring women's autonomy in Chad using the Relative Autonomy Index". Feminist Economics. 22 (1): 264–294. doi:10.1080/13545701.2015.1108991. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Other publications

Human Development and Capability Association Briefing Note

• Alkire, Sabina (2005). "Capability and functionings: definition & justification". HDCA Introductory Briefing Note. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Agence Française de Développement and European Development Research Network (AFD-EUDN) Conference Paper

• Alkire, Sabina (2011). "Beyond monetary poverty: multidimensional poverty and its discontents" (PDF). Measure for Measure: How Well do We Measure Development?, Proceedings of the 8th Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and European Development Research Network (EUDN) Conference 1 December 2010 Paris. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Papers

• Alkire, Sabina; Ritchie, Angus (September 2007). "Winning ideas: lessons from free market economics". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 6. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (2010). "Human development: definitions, critiques and related concepts". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 36; UNDP Human Development Report Background Paper 2010. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) ISBN 9781907194443
• Alkire, Sabina; Foster, James (2010). "Designing the inequality-adjusted human development index (HDI)". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 37; UNDP Human Development Report Background Paper 2010/28. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Santos, Maria E (2010). "Acute multidimensional poverty: a new index for developing countries". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 38; UNDP Human Development Report Background Paper 2010/11. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) ISBN 9781907194221
• Alkire, Sabina; Santos, Maria E (March 2013). "Measuring acute poverty in the developing world: robustness and scope of the multidimensional poverty index". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 59. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) ISBN 9781907194443
• Alkire, Sabina; Seth, Suman (March 2013). "Multidimensional poverty reduction in India between 1999 and 2006: where and how?". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 60. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) ISBN 9781907194474
• Alkire, Sabina; Roche, José Manuel; Sumner, Andy (March 2013). "Where do the World's Multidimensionally Poor People Live?". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Working Paper No. 61. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) ISBN 9781907194481

Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Research in Progress Papers

• Alkire, Sabina; Apablaza, Mauricio; Jung, Eujin (December 2012). "Multidimensional poverty measurement for EU-SILC countries". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Research Paper: 36a. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina (January 2013). "Well-being, happiness and public policy". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Research Paper: 37a. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Alkire, Sabina; Seth, Suman; Roche, José Manuel; Sumner, Andy (January 2014). "Where do the world's poorest live? a multidimensional approach to the bottom billion". Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Research Paper: 39a. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Forthcoming

• Alkire, Sabina; Ballon, Paola; Foster, James; Roche, José Manuel; Santos, Maria Emma; Seth, Suman (2014). Multidimensional poverty measurement and analysis: a counting approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

See also

• Alkire Foster Method
• Feminist economics
• List of feminist economists
• Multidimensional Poverty Index
• Political philosophy

External links

• Profile: Sabina Alkire