Description
A War on Global Poverty presents a comprehensive exploration of U.S. initiatives aimed at tackling global poverty during the transformative decades of the 1970s and 1980s. Authored by Joanne Meyerowitz, this pivotal work delves into the evolution of antipoverty strategies, shifting from traditional modernization programs to the innovative rise of microcredit. Focusing on women's crucial roles, the book argues for a holistic approach to alleviating poverty, highlighting why women were often viewed as the deserving poor in humanitarian efforts.
As the fight against global poverty progressed, U.S. economists, policymakers, and grassroots activists united to confront the harsh realities of millions living in destitution. Rejecting the outdated trickle-down economics, they advocated for equitable solutions that addressed disparities both within and between nations. This book illuminates the emergence of the 'women in development' movement, showcasing women's contributions as key economic players capable of transforming families and communities.
However, in the conservative landscape of the 1980s, the characterization of poverty alleviation shifted dramatically. The adoption of market-based approaches redefined the narrative, with women depicted as entrepreneurs in the microfinance sector. Meyerowitz critically examines how microcredit initiatives, despite their promise, supplanted broader, more ambitious programs aimed at structural change and wealth redistribution.
Richly detailed and grounded in extensive research, A War on Global Poverty not only chronicles the historical shifts in anti-poverty efforts but also raises questions about their legacies in contemporary times. Perfect for anyone interested in development studies, social justice, and gender equity, this book is an essential addition to your library.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691206332
Format: Trade binding
Year: 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
A War on Global Poverty provides a fresh account of U.S. involvement in campaigns to end global poverty in the 1970s and 1980s. From the decline of modernisation programs to the rise of microcredit, Joanne Meyerowitz looks beyond familiar histories of development and explains why antipoverty programs increasingly focused on women as the deserving poor.
When the United States joined the war on global poverty, economists, policymakers, and activists asked how to change a world in which millions lived in need. Moved to the left by socialists, social democrats, and religious humanists, they rejected the notion that economic growth would trickle down to the poor, and they proposed programs to redress inequities between and within nations. In an emerging 'women in development' movement, they positioned women as economic actors who could help lift families and nations out of destitution.
In the more conservative 1980s, the war on global poverty turned decisively toward market-based projects in the private sector. Development experts and anti-poverty advocates recast women as entrepreneurs and imagined microcredit — with its tiny loans — as a grassroots solution. Meyerowitz shows that at the very moment when the overextension of credit left poorer nations bankrupt, loans to impoverished women came to replace more ambitious proposals that aimed at redistribution.
Based on a wealth of sources, A War on Global Poverty looks at a critical transformation in antipoverty efforts in the late twentieth century and points to its legacies today.
As the fight against global poverty progressed, U.S. economists, policymakers, and grassroots activists united to confront the harsh realities of millions living in destitution. Rejecting the outdated trickle-down economics, they advocated for equitable solutions that addressed disparities both within and between nations. This book illuminates the emergence of the 'women in development' movement, showcasing women's contributions as key economic players capable of transforming families and communities.
However, in the conservative landscape of the 1980s, the characterization of poverty alleviation shifted dramatically. The adoption of market-based approaches redefined the narrative, with women depicted as entrepreneurs in the microfinance sector. Meyerowitz critically examines how microcredit initiatives, despite their promise, supplanted broader, more ambitious programs aimed at structural change and wealth redistribution.
Richly detailed and grounded in extensive research, A War on Global Poverty not only chronicles the historical shifts in anti-poverty efforts but also raises questions about their legacies in contemporary times. Perfect for anyone interested in development studies, social justice, and gender equity, this book is an essential addition to your library.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691206332
Format: Trade binding
Year: 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
A War on Global Poverty provides a fresh account of U.S. involvement in campaigns to end global poverty in the 1970s and 1980s. From the decline of modernisation programs to the rise of microcredit, Joanne Meyerowitz looks beyond familiar histories of development and explains why antipoverty programs increasingly focused on women as the deserving poor.
When the United States joined the war on global poverty, economists, policymakers, and activists asked how to change a world in which millions lived in need. Moved to the left by socialists, social democrats, and religious humanists, they rejected the notion that economic growth would trickle down to the poor, and they proposed programs to redress inequities between and within nations. In an emerging 'women in development' movement, they positioned women as economic actors who could help lift families and nations out of destitution.
In the more conservative 1980s, the war on global poverty turned decisively toward market-based projects in the private sector. Development experts and anti-poverty advocates recast women as entrepreneurs and imagined microcredit — with its tiny loans — as a grassroots solution. Meyerowitz shows that at the very moment when the overextension of credit left poorer nations bankrupt, loans to impoverished women came to replace more ambitious proposals that aimed at redistribution.
Based on a wealth of sources, A War on Global Poverty looks at a critical transformation in antipoverty efforts in the late twentieth century and points to its legacies today.