THE INTEGRATED FUZZY AND RELATIVE INDEX FOR POVERTY ANALYSIS: A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Abstract

We review the Integrated Fuzzy and Relative (IFR) approach with the aim of showing its universal and interdisciplinary feature for defining composite indicators in different settings. This methodology, introduced for measuring poverty by means of a multidimensional perspective and fuzzy logic, shall apply indeed in different research frameworks. The article provides and discusses two practical examples of applications of this methodology in two different settings, namely children wellbeing and agro-food sustainability. Warnings that should be clear to analysts, policymakers, and audience, when computing, examining or reading results from this methodology end the paper.