Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to Explore Experiences of New Poverty

‘New poverty’, an urban type of poverty mainly affecting the middle class, has increased dramatically
over the past five years in Greece following the 2007-2008 economic crisis and the strict austerity
measures which were adopted. Focusing on subjective experience and meaning making, this study
aims to illuminate how ‘new poverty’ is experienced and given meaning by two individuals living in the
wider metropolitan area of Athens. Participants’ accounts were elicited through in-depth, semistructured
interviews and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three
overarching themes were identified: the impact of poverty on participants’ lives, the perceived causes
of ‘new poverty’ and coping strategies. Participants focused on the all-pervasive nature of poverty and
its impact on their physical and psychological well-being. They mainly identified the cause of poverty
to be associated with socioeconomic factors, favouring economic/structural explanations. Ways of
coping with poverty included receiving financial assistance from parents and engaging in social
comparisons. The findings are discussed in relation to extant literature.