‘Seen’, ‘Respected’ and ‘Empowered’: Exploring the Dignity Dividend of a Universal Basic Income

Vibhor Mathur

doi:10.1177/14649934261445713

‘Seen’, ‘Respected’ and ‘Empowered’: Exploring the Dignity Dividend of a Universal Basic Income

Vibhor Mathur

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Individuals experiencing poverty face dual indignity: material deprivation and engagement with stigmatizing social policy. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is often pitched as a dignifying alternative to both challenges. This article presents a 2-year ethnographic investigation within a UBI pilot in South Indian urban slums. I explore the dignifying potential of ‘UBI way’—unconditionality, universality, individualization, regularity—of delivering cash. Participants report enhanced recognition, strengthened social relations and increased agency through the intervention’s design features. Importantly, the narratives accompanying the delivery of a UBI were key to these experiences of dignity. This study also presents a novel conceptual framework to operationalize dignity, based on recognition, relationality and autonomy, aiming to make dignity a ‘useful’ concept in development policy and practice.

Original language	English
Number of pages	21
Journal	Progress in Development Studies
Early online date	13 May 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/14649934261445713
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 13 May 2026

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Neil Howard, Joe Devine, Keetie Roelen, Mathilde Maîtrot, Leah Hamilton and Sarath Davala for their insights and feedback on the conceptualization and focus of this article. The author is also to the multiple research partners and the participants in the study who have contributed to the knowledge and practice discussed in this article.

Funding

The author disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: All data collected in this study were made possible by funding from European Research Council (Grant Number 805425) and Mustardseed Trust.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Keywords

Dignity
International development
Poverty
Qualitative methods
Social policy
Sociology of poverty
Universal basic income

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Development

Access to Document

10.1177/14649934261445713Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{b65fe99388b54f23a7b7918f09fc4099,

title = "{\textquoteleft}Seen{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}Respected{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}Empowered{\textquoteright}: Exploring the Dignity Dividend of a Universal Basic Income",

abstract = "Individuals experiencing poverty face dual indignity: material deprivation and engagement with stigmatizing social policy. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is often pitched as a dignifying alternative to both challenges. This article presents a 2-year ethnographic investigation within a UBI pilot in South Indian urban slums. I explore the dignifying potential of {\textquoteleft}UBI way{\textquoteright}—unconditionality, universality, individualization, regularity—of delivering cash. Participants report enhanced recognition, strengthened social relations and increased agency through the intervention{\textquoteright}s design features. Importantly, the narratives accompanying the delivery of a UBI were key to these experiences of dignity. This study also presents a novel conceptual framework to operationalize dignity, based on recognition, relationality and autonomy, aiming to make dignity a {\textquoteleft}useful{\textquoteright} concept in development policy and practice.",

keywords = "Dignity, International development, Poverty, Qualitative methods, Social policy, Sociology of poverty, Universal basic income",

author = "Vibhor Mathur",

year = "2026",

month = may,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1177/14649934261445713",

language = "English",

journal = "Progress in Development Studies",

issn = "1464-9934",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘Seen’, ‘Respected’ and ‘Empowered’

T2 - Exploring the Dignity Dividend of a Universal Basic Income

AU - Mathur, Vibhor

PY - 2026/5/13

Y1 - 2026/5/13

N2 - Individuals experiencing poverty face dual indignity: material deprivation and engagement with stigmatizing social policy. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is often pitched as a dignifying alternative to both challenges. This article presents a 2-year ethnographic investigation within a UBI pilot in South Indian urban slums. I explore the dignifying potential of ‘UBI way’—unconditionality, universality, individualization, regularity—of delivering cash. Participants report enhanced recognition, strengthened social relations and increased agency through the intervention’s design features. Importantly, the narratives accompanying the delivery of a UBI were key to these experiences of dignity. This study also presents a novel conceptual framework to operationalize dignity, based on recognition, relationality and autonomy, aiming to make dignity a ‘useful’ concept in development policy and practice.

AB - Individuals experiencing poverty face dual indignity: material deprivation and engagement with stigmatizing social policy. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is often pitched as a dignifying alternative to both challenges. This article presents a 2-year ethnographic investigation within a UBI pilot in South Indian urban slums. I explore the dignifying potential of ‘UBI way’—unconditionality, universality, individualization, regularity—of delivering cash. Participants report enhanced recognition, strengthened social relations and increased agency through the intervention’s design features. Importantly, the narratives accompanying the delivery of a UBI were key to these experiences of dignity. This study also presents a novel conceptual framework to operationalize dignity, based on recognition, relationality and autonomy, aiming to make dignity a ‘useful’ concept in development policy and practice.

KW - Dignity

KW - International development

KW - Poverty

KW - Qualitative methods

KW - Social policy

KW - Sociology of poverty

KW - Universal basic income

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038842107

U2 - 10.1177/14649934261445713

DO - 10.1177/14649934261445713

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105038842107

SN - 1464-9934

JO - Progress in Development Studies

JF - Progress in Development Studies

ER -

‘Seen’, ‘Respected’ and ‘Empowered’: Exploring the Dignity Dividend of a Universal Basic Income

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this