Two Concepts of Causation: Implications for Poverty

This article seeks to bring to the attention of a readership in development studies a distinction in the literature on causation, and to show how it matters for poverty. The distinction is between ‘difference‐making’ and ‘production’ as a depiction of the causal relationship. It is argued that the ‘difference‐making/production’ distinction lies at the root of applied debates about how to assess the impact of development programmes, how to understand the causation of poverty and how to conceive of duties to eliminate or reduce poverty. Understanding such foundational differences is important in order to expose error in applied debates, to clarify the reasons for actual methodological choice, to explain conflicting research results and to shed light on the reasons for differing policy prescriptions.