Ethno-cultural diversity and multidimensional poverty differential in Cameroon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reconcile the multidimensional nature of poverty with a population's cultural conditioning for the purpose of policy evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling is the strategy used to compare nested models. Findings – The results show that the observed differences in the dimensions of poverty significantly, but not exclusively, result from differences in cultural valuation systems between groups. Culture influences poverty in two ways: differences in perceptions and differences in the poverty determinants. Practical implications – In consideration of these results, we propose a participatory, decentralized and cautious approach in developing credible poverty-alleviation strategies which respond to the needs expressed by the relevant populations. Originality/value – In this research, the authors adopt a quantitative approach which applies some statistical tests to analyze the effects of cultural values on poverty.