Definition
Sabina Alkire is an American development economist and academic known for her contributions to the measurement of multidimensional poverty and the advancement of the capability approach in social welfare analysis.
Overview
Alkire holds the position of Professor of Practice in International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she also serves as Director of the Harvard Global Equity Initiative. She earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Oxford and previously worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on poverty measurement initiatives. Alkire is best known for co‑developing the Alkire‑Foster method, a widely adopted framework for assessing multidimensional poverty, which underpins the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) used by the UN and various governments. She has authored and co‑authored numerous scholarly articles, book chapters, and the book Measuring Poverty around the World (Cambridge University Press, 2019). Her research focuses on the capability approach, welfare measurement, and policy design aimed at reducing poverty and inequality.
Etymology/Origin
The term “Sabina Alkire” is a personal name. “Sabina” is a feminine given name of Latin origin, historically associated with the Sabine people of ancient Italy. “Alkire” is an English‑language surname, likely derived from a locational or occupational source, though its precise etymology is not central to the academic profile of the individual.
Characteristics
- Academic Positions: Professor of Practice, Harvard Kennedy School; Director, Harvard Global Equity Initiative.
- Methodological Contributions: Co‑creator of the Alkire‑Foster method for multidimensional poverty measurement.
- Key Publications: Measuring Poverty around the World (2019); multiple peer‑reviewed articles on the capability approach and poverty indices.
- Professional Affiliations: Former senior economist at UNDP; member of research networks focused on development economics and welfare measurement.
- Areas of Expertise: Multidimensional poverty, capability approach, social welfare measurement, development policy analysis.
Related Topics
- Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
- Capability Approach (Amartya Sen)
- Alkire‑Foster Method
- Harvard Kennedy School – Center for International Development
- Development Economics
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Poverty Measurement Initiatives