The application of the
unsatisfied basic needs method in the context of the present study
entailed the following steps:
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* Specification of those basic
needs where lack of satisfaction is considered to be an indicator of
deprivation or poor living conditions; *
choice of indicators for measuring the extent to which these needs are
satisfied; * definition of
a threshold for each indicator, below which the level would denote
deprivation; *
specification of a measurement scale for each indicator, to be used as a
basis for giving a score to the household with respect to the indicator
in question; * construction
of an index for measuring the extent of satisfaction of household needs
with respect to each and all fields, by utilizing household - specific
indicators scores; *
definition of a classification that divides households into categories
according to the overall index score, and calculating the proportion of
households at each degree of satisfaction; and, *
studying the geographical and social distribution for each of these
categories, and analyzing their distinctive characteristics.
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1.
Application of the methodology
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The unsatisfied basic needs
methodology was applied to the data obtained from the Population and
Housing Survey. The questionnaire was reviewed to determine which
variables are relevant to the measurement of living conditions. In the
absence of data on income and expenditure, and on health indicators, a
set of 11 indicators was selected and grouped into four fields as
follows:
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One) Housing
and related indicators: number of rooms and built area per
person, and principal means of heating.
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Two) Water
and sewerage indicators: connection to the water supply
network, principal source of potable water, and sewerage facilities.
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Three) Education
and related indicators: pursuit of studies and level of
education.
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Four) Income-related
indicators: number of cars owned by the household, economic
dependency rate, and main occupation.
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The threshold - the limit below
which a need is considered as unsatisfied to an acceptable degree - for
each indicator was then defined. It should be pointed out, however, that
the acceptable minimum degree of satisfaction for a specific basic need
differs from one country to another, and even between households in the
same country. This minimum depends on several elements: the surrounding
environment and circumstances; social traditions; cultural orientation
and habits; and other factors. Thus, the definition of the lower limit,
or the threshold, for each indicator involves a degree of personal
judgment that could vary from one person to another.
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In defining a threshold for each
indicator, the study has benefited from available international
standards and knowledge about the actual economic, social and
educational situation of households in Lebanon. Practical tests were
then carried out using data from the Population and Housing Survey to
verify the suitability of these thresholds; and several modifications
were introduced to ensure objectivity to the extent possible. Based on
this, the state of deprivation was defined for each of the selected
indicators, as shown in Table 1 below:
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Table1.
Measurement of the degree of satisfaction of basic needs: Indicators and
thresholds |
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A.The
dwelling
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1. Number of rooms
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2. Built area (square meters)
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3.Principal means of heating |
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* Less than 0.5 rooms
per person |
* Improvised accommodation,
mobile, other |
* 30 or less: household size
more than 1 * from 31
to 80: household size more than 5 *
from 141 to 200:household size more than 15 *
Improvised dwelling, mobile, other |
* No heating |
* Other (charcoal, wood...) |
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B. Water
and sewerage |
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1. Connection of dwelling to
a water network |
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2. Principal source of
potable water |
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3. Sewerage facilities |
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* Dwelling is not
connected to a water network. *
Dwelling is connected to the public water network; where the
principal source of potable water is different. *
Spring water * Other
source * Open sewers *
Other * None |
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C. Education |
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1. Pursuit of studies
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2. Level of education (11
years and above) |
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* Does not pursue
studies, though previously did; or has never attended school and
aged 6-15 years (elementary stage and below) |
* Currently pursues regular
studies: elementary level, age 11 years and above; |
* At present does not pursue
regular studies but has done so before, or has never been to school;
age is 11 years or above and can read, write, or illiterate. |
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D. Income-related
indicators |
1. Number of private cars |
2. Dependency rate |
3. Main occupation |
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* None |
* More than 5. |
* Relation to the
labor force: employed outside the house, or work inside the
house. |
* Employment in the public
sector: employed in the field of administration, personal services
and protection, and sales; employed in occupations of a handicraft
nature; and in operating and installing machinery and equipment. |
* Farmers and skilled
agricultural workers and fishermen. |
* Unskilled workers. |
* Relation to the
labor force: unemployed but had previously held a job, or
has never been employed before. |
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The next step
involved the designing of a unified scale for measuring the degrees of
satisfaction for each indicator, to be able to incorporate individual
indicator's scores in a composite index for each field, and ultimately
the four field indices in an overall composite index for measuring
living conditions. To achieve this, the values for each indicator were
converted to standardized values, referred to as the indicator's score.
This score falls between zero and 2; being equal to zero in the case of
extreme deprivation; equal to 1 at the threshold for the indicator; and
2 at the highest level of satisfaction possible for the need in
question.
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The index for each of
the designated four fields is computed as the equivalent of the simple
arithmetic mean of the relevant field indicators. The living conditions
index is, in turn, computed as the equivalent of the simple arithmetic
mean of the four field indices for each household.
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As a result of the
application of this methodology, each household obtains 11 scores,
corresponding to the 11 individual indicators. The household also
obtains 4 scores corresponding to the 4 field indices. Finally, it
obtains one composite score for the living conditions index; which is
then used to classify households into five (or three) categories
depending on the degree of satisfaction of the basic needs.
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The Mapping of Living
Conditions in Lebanon study adopts a basic classification of households
into five degrees or levels of satisfaction, based on the index score
for the satisfaction of basic needs obtained by the household. The
classification adopted is as follows: |
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1. Very low degree of
satisfaction: household score of less than 0.75. |
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2. Low degree of satisfaction:
household score varies between 0.75 and 0.99. |
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3. Intermediate degree of
satisfaction: household score varies between 1 and 1.25. |
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4. High degree of satisfaction:
household score varies between 1.26 and 1.49. |
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5. Very high degree of
satisfaction: household score varies between 1.50 and 2.
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To facilitate the
analysis, a 3-level classification was also adopted whereby the degrees
of very low and that of low satisfaction were combined in one category:
"low"; and the degrees of high and very high satisfaction in
one category: "high". The category of intermediate
satisfaction was left unchanged with respect to both range and
designation. Thus the 3-level classification becomes as follows:
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1. Low degree of
satisfaction: household score of less than 1. |
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2. Intermediate degree of
satisfaction: household score varies between 1 and 1.25. |
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3. High degree of
satisfaction: household score varies between 1.26 and 2.
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In this
classification, the term "low satisfaction" does not
necessarily correspond to "poor"; nor does the term "high
satisfaction" correspond to rich; or that of "intermediate
satisfaction" to "middle class". This is particularly
true of the category of intermediate satisfaction, which represents the
largest category of households living at the threshold of satisfaction
of basic needs, or somewhat higher (score varying between 1 and 1.25).
In the context of the study, households classified as having a low
degree of satisfaction, i.e. households falling below the threshold,
were considered to be households deprived of satisfaction of basic needs
or, briefly, as deprived households.
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2.
Definitions used
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Indicator: denotes
the satisfaction of a specific need that was expressed through one
specific question or more in the questionnaire. The study adopted 11
indicators (e.g. share of an individual in built area, level of
education, number of cars, etc.).
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Threshold:
denotes the level below which a need is considered to be not satisfied
to a socially accepted degree.
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Score:
denotes a grade (point) accorded to each household depending on the
degree of satisfaction of the need. A zero score denotes an extreme case
of deprivation; the threshold score being always 1 and the maximum
satisfaction score 2. Each household thus obtains a score varying
between zero and 2, depending on the degree of satisfaction of the need
in question; and one score for each indicator.
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Index: is a
composite of the indicators' scores in a specific field. Four such
fields were adopted in the study, each represented by more than one
indicator, namely: housing (3); water and sewerage (3); education (2);
and income-related indicators (3). An index was computed for each field.
Finally, a living conditions index was computed as an overall composite
index of the scores of the indices in the four fields.
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Deprivation:
The term deprivation and its derivatives are used to denote the
situation of households or individuals whose degree of satisfaction with
respect to a specific need or field, or the overall living conditions
index, is below the threshold. These are households and individuals
classified in the study as having a low degree of satisfaction (low and
very low).
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Household: consists
of one or more individuals, whether relatives or not, who live together
and share the dwelling and food. The household could also consist of a
number of conjugal families that share the same dwelling and food. In
this case, the number of those living in the dwelling is taken to be
equal to the total number of family members living in it. |
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