Causal Attributions for Poverty in Italy: What Do People Think About Impoverishment

This paper delves into causal attributions for poverty in Italy, aiming to understand public perceptions of its origins. Do individuals attribute poverty to personal failings, societal factors, or simply to bad luck? Drawing from existing literature, we identify three primary attributions: individual responsibility, external-tangible influences, and fatalistic elements. Our analysis is based on data from a 2012 study in Italy with approximately 1000 participants. Using Principal Component Analysis, we distilled the data into three main components. Subsequent analyses revealed significant correlations between these attributions and variables such as gender, age, education level, and economic status, offering insights into how different demographic groups perceive the causes of poverty.