Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators
This paper presents an analytic framework that can be used to measure and monitor empowerment processes and outcomes. The measuring empowerment (ME) framework, rooted in both conceptual discourse and measurement practice, illustrates how to gather data on empowerment and structure its analysis. The...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/02/5642253/measuring-empowerment-practice-structuring-analysis-framing-indicators http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8856 |
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okr-10986-88562021-04-23T14:02:42Z Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators Alsop, Ruth Heinsohn, Nina ADULTS COMMUNITIES COUNCILS ELECTIONS EMPLOYMENT EMPOWERMENT EMPOWERMENT/ ENDOWMENTS FINANCES GENITAL MUTILATION GIRLS HOUSEHOLDS INCOME INTERVENTION JURISDICTION LAWS LIVING STANDARDS MANAGERS MOTHERS PEACE POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POVERTY REDUCTION PROCUREMENT RURAL COMMUNITIES RURAL PEOPLE RURAL WATER SANITATION SCHOOLS SERVICE DELIVERY SEXUAL HARASSMENT SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL NORMS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL STATUS URBAN AREAS VIOLENCE WASTE This paper presents an analytic framework that can be used to measure and monitor empowerment processes and outcomes. The measuring empowerment (ME) framework, rooted in both conceptual discourse and measurement practice, illustrates how to gather data on empowerment and structure its analysis. The framework can be used to measure empowerment at both the intervention level and the country level, as a part of poverty or governance monitoring. The paper first provides a definition of empowerment and then explains how the concept can be reduced to measurable components. Empowerment is defined as a person's capacity to make effective choices; that is, as the capacity to transform choices into desired actions and outcomes. The extent or degree to which a person is empowered is influenced by personal agency (the capacity to make purposive choice) and opportunity structure (the institutional context in which choice is made). Asset endowments are used as indicators of agency. These assets may be psychological, informational, organizational, material, social, financial, or human. Opportunity structure is measured by the presence and operation of formal and informal institutions, including the laws, regulatory frameworks, and norms governing behavior. Degrees of empowerment are measured by the existence of choice, the use of choice, and the achievement of choice. Following the conceptual discussion and the presentation of the analytic framework, this paper illustrates how the ME framework can be applied, using examples from four development interventions. Each example discusses how the framework guided analysis and development of empowerment indicators. The paper also presents a draft module for measuring empowerment at the country level. The module can be used alone or be integrated into country-level poverty or governance monitoring systems that seek to add an empowerment dimension to their analysis. 2012-06-22T20:10:42Z 2012-06-22T20:10:42Z 2005-02 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/02/5642253/measuring-empowerment-practice-structuring-analysis-framing-indicators http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8856 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 3510 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
ADULTS COMMUNITIES COUNCILS ELECTIONS EMPLOYMENT EMPOWERMENT EMPOWERMENT/ ENDOWMENTS FINANCES GENITAL MUTILATION GIRLS HOUSEHOLDS INCOME INTERVENTION JURISDICTION LAWS LIVING STANDARDS MANAGERS MOTHERS PEACE POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POVERTY REDUCTION PROCUREMENT RURAL COMMUNITIES RURAL PEOPLE RURAL WATER SANITATION SCHOOLS SERVICE DELIVERY SEXUAL HARASSMENT SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL NORMS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL STATUS URBAN AREAS VIOLENCE WASTE |
| spellingShingle |
ADULTS COMMUNITIES COUNCILS ELECTIONS EMPLOYMENT EMPOWERMENT EMPOWERMENT/ ENDOWMENTS FINANCES GENITAL MUTILATION GIRLS HOUSEHOLDS INCOME INTERVENTION JURISDICTION LAWS LIVING STANDARDS MANAGERS MOTHERS PEACE POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POVERTY REDUCTION PROCUREMENT RURAL COMMUNITIES RURAL PEOPLE RURAL WATER SANITATION SCHOOLS SERVICE DELIVERY SEXUAL HARASSMENT SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL NORMS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL STATUS URBAN AREAS VIOLENCE WASTE Alsop, Ruth Heinsohn, Nina Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper; No. 3510 |
| description |
This paper presents an analytic framework that can be used to measure and monitor empowerment processes and outcomes. The measuring empowerment (ME) framework, rooted in both conceptual discourse and measurement practice, illustrates how to gather data on empowerment and structure its analysis. The framework can be used to measure empowerment at both the intervention level and the country level, as a part of poverty or governance monitoring. The paper first provides a definition of empowerment and then explains how the concept can be reduced to measurable components. Empowerment is defined as a person's capacity to make effective choices; that is, as the capacity to transform choices into desired actions and outcomes. The extent or degree to which a person is empowered is influenced by personal agency (the capacity to make purposive choice) and opportunity structure (the institutional context in which choice is made). Asset endowments are used as indicators of agency. These assets may be psychological, informational, organizational, material, social, financial, or human. Opportunity structure is measured by the presence and operation of formal and informal institutions, including the laws, regulatory frameworks, and norms governing behavior. Degrees of empowerment are measured by the existence of choice, the use of choice, and the achievement of choice. Following the conceptual discussion and the presentation of the analytic framework, this paper illustrates how the ME framework can be applied, using examples from four development interventions. Each example discusses how the framework guided analysis and development of empowerment indicators. The paper also presents a draft module for measuring empowerment at the country level. The module can be used alone or be integrated into country-level poverty or governance monitoring systems that seek to add an empowerment dimension to their analysis. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Alsop, Ruth Heinsohn, Nina |
| author_facet |
Alsop, Ruth Heinsohn, Nina |
| author_sort |
Alsop, Ruth |
| title |
Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators |
| title_short |
Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators |
| title_full |
Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators |
| title_fullStr |
Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Measuring Empowerment in Practice : Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators |
| title_sort |
measuring empowerment in practice : structuring analysis and framing indicators |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/02/5642253/measuring-empowerment-practice-structuring-analysis-framing-indicators http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8856 |
| _version_ |
1764407020596756480 |