1. Analysing child poverty dynamics using secondary quantitative data and primary qualitative data: methodological challenges
Keetie Roelen
UEA/IDS Workshop
02 July 2013

2. Monetary and Multidimensional Child Poverty

3. Explaining differences
Measurement error
Lagged effect of multidimensional poverty
Infrastructure and services
Attitudes and behaviours

4. Data and methods Panel household survey – secondary data
Group discussions, life history interviews and participatory methods – primary data
>> iterative process of mixing methods

5. Methodological challenges
As a result of combining secondary quantitative and primary qualitative data:
Identification problem
Dominance of quantitative methods
As a result of studying child poverty from a longitudinal perspective:
Fluidity of childhood

6. Identification problem
sample quantitative data
sample qualitative data ?? ≠
Combining quantitative and qualitative data to analyse poverty dynamics has been done before (Taylor, 2008; Davis and Baulch, 2011) but with access to sample of quantitative data

7. Dominance of quantitative data
The use of secondary quantitative data restricts the iterative combination of data and methods. Other studies on child poverty (such as Trani and Cannings (2013) and their study in Western Darfur) have used participatory methods and qualitative information to inform the design and questionnaire of the household survey, allowing for information on all desirable indicators to be included in the quantitative analysis. The use of secondary quantitative data limits the possibilities for combining information.
Options still possible:
Establish tresholds
Develop weighting scheme
Finalise list

8. Fluidity of childhood
Not specific to quantitative or qualitative methods or to use of mixed methods but poses a challenge in general.

9. Methodological implications
Identification problem: household wealth and child wellbeing ranking;
Dominance of quantitative data: open-ended identification and scoring of indicators;
Fluidity of childhood: dashboard versus composite index.

10. Suggestions welcome!