ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolving understanding of poverty, starting with its conventional interpretation as a lack of income and progressing toward a multidimensional perspective that encompasses social, political, and developmental dimensions. It draws on recent data and frameworks from the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Development Program, and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative to illustrate global patterns of poverty and fragility. Special attention is given to indices such as the Human Development Index to highlight both their explanatory power and their limitations. The chapter also introduces the concept of the “expelled”, as defined by Sassen, to underscore the structural exclusion produced by advanced financialization and its impact on human development. Through this analysis, key concepts such as social fragility, marginalization, and underdevelopment are examined as precursors to a broader discussion on disempowerment and empowerment, setting the stage for a more person-centered approach to human development.
