scholarly journals Inequality in the Developing World

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Social Benefit ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Global Inequality ◽  
Chronic Poverty ◽  
Measurement And Analysis ◽  
Policy Concern

Inequality has emerged as a key development challenge. It holds implications for economic growth and redistribution and translates into power asymmetries that can endanger human rights, create conflict, and embed social exclusion and chronic poverty. For these reasons, it underpins intense public and academic debates and has become a dominant policy concern within many countries and in all multilateral agencies. It is at the core of the seventeen goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This book contributes to this important discussion by presenting assessments of the measurement and analysis of global inequality by leading inequality scholars, aligning these to comprehensive reviews of inequality trends in five of the world’s largest developing countries—Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. Each is a persistently high or newly high inequality context and, with the changing global inequality situation as context, country chapters investigate the main factors shaping their different inequality dynamics. Particular attention is on how broader societal inequalities arising outside of the labour market have intersected with the rapidly changing labour market milieus of the last few decades. Collectively these chapters provide a nuanced discussion of key distributive phenomena like the high concentration of income among the most affluent people, gender inequalities, and social mobility. Substantive tax and social benefit policies that each country implemented to mitigate these inequality dynamics are assessed in detail. The book takes lessons from these contexts back into the global analysis of inequality and social mobility and the policies needed to address inequality.

Vocational bachelor graduates in France: labour market integration and social mobility

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Calmand ◽  
Jean-François Giret ◽  
Christine Guégnard
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Market Integration ◽  
Social Benefit ◽  
Market Transition ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Upward Social Mobility ◽  
Professional Occupation

Purpose – In France, the vocationalization of higher education has resulted in an increase in the number of graduates and created new opportunities. The access of these vocational bachelor graduates to the labour market raises the issue of their professional prospects amid changing economic and social circumstances. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – To provide insights into these issues, the employment situation of bachelor graduates during the first years of active working life will be compared with other tertiary graduates entering the labour market in the same years, using econometric models that estimate the effects of vocational courses “all other things being equal”, incorporating a range of individual characteristics. Findings – Overall, vocational bachelor graduates experienced fewer difficulties in seeking to enter the labour market during difficult economic circumstances. They did not achieve upward social mobility with a lower probability of obtaining a managerial/professional occupation three years after graduation. These results confirm that diplomas continue to play a central and hierarchized role in France. Originality/value – The originality of this paper is to highlight the labour market transition of vocational bachelor graduates during a period of economic crisis, inquiring on the social benefit of this new diploma in France: what were the impacts of the changing economic conditions and influx of vocational bachelor graduates on their labour market transition and their chances of upward social mobility?

scholarly journals Setting the Scene

2021 ◽  
pp. 3-14
Author(s):  
Carlos Gradín ◽  
Murray Leibbrandt ◽  
Finn Tarp
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Global Inequality ◽  
Chronic Poverty ◽  
The Core ◽  
Measurement And Analysis

Inequality has emerged as a key development challenge. It holds implications for economic growth and redistribution, and translates into power asymmetries that can endanger human rights, create conflict, and embed social exclusion and chronic poverty. For these reasons, it underpins intense public and academic debates and has become a dominant policy concern within many countries and in all multilateral agencies. It is at the core of the seventeen goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This chapter introduces a volume that contributes to this important discussion by bringing together assessments of the measurement and analysis of global inequality by leading inequality scholars with a comprehensive view of inequality trends in five of the world’s largest developing countries—Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. Understanding inequalities in these economies remains challenging, but is of great value in coming to grips with the contemporary global inequalities detailed in other chapters.

How do family background and shadow education affect academic performance and labour market outcomes in South Korea? Reasons for redistributive social investment

2021 ◽  
pp. 85-106
Author(s):  
Yun Young Kim ◽  
Young Jun Choi
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Shadow Education ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Investment Policies ◽  
Labour Market Outcomes ◽  
Education And Employment

This chapter aims to explore the role of education and social investment, with special attention on the effects of shadow education on social mobility in Korea. It analyses how family background and shadow education influence educational attainment and, subsequently, how educational attainment affects incomes, using data from the Korea Education and Employment Panel (KEEP). Since this 'broken social elevator' is not a problem faced only by Korea — most OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries have 'sticky ceilings' and 'sticky floors' — the chapter then discusses the direction social investment policies should take to reboot social mobility. It argues that in order to minimise the effects of family background on educational attainment and labour market outcomes, social investment policies should actively play a redistributive role.

Geschlechtsspezifische Ost-West-Unterschiede im Erwerbsverlauf

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 445-466
Author(s):  
Dana Müller ◽  
Michaela Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
East Germany ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
East And West ◽  
Gender Specific

Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Entwicklung geschlechtsspezifischer Ungleichheiten über die letzten drei Jahrzehnte in Ost- und Westdeutschland. Unterschiede zwischen beiden Regionen bestehen nach wie vor. Sie haben ihren Ursprung in den verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen Ansätzen der Gleichstellung der Geschlechter vor der Wiedervereinigung und den unterschiedlichen strukturellen Gegebenheiten am Arbeitsmarkt. Dennoch besitzen nach wie vor weder die Frauen in Westdeutschland noch in Ostdeutschland die gleichen Einkommens- und Karrierechancen wie Männer. Die Bemühungen des Staates, den Abbau geschlechtsspezifischer Ungleichheiten voranzutreiben, werden anhand der zahlreichen Maßnahmen der letzten Jahre sichtbar. Sie reichen aber noch nicht aus, wie die Zahlen im Beitrag zeigen. Abstract: Gender-specific Differences on the Labour Market in East and West Germany This article describes the development of gender inequalities over the last three decades in East and West Germany. There are still differences between the two regions. They have their origin in the different social concepts to gender equality before reunification and the different structural conditions on the labour market. Nevertheless, not only women in West Germany but also in East Germany still do not have the same income and career opportunities as men. The state’s efforts to promote the reduction of gender-specific inequalities are evident from the numerous measures taken in recent years. However, they are not yet sufficient.

On the unexplained causes of the gender gap in the labour market

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 933-949
Author(s):  
Rosalia Castellano ◽  
Antonella Rocca
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Female Behaviour ◽  
Complex Scenario

PurposeThis paper investigates the causes of the gender gap in the labour market that cannot be explained by classical human capital theory.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, the authors integrate the Gender Gap in the Labour Market Index (GGLMI), a composite index developed in previous research, with further information on some social aspects that could affect the female work commitment, directly or indirectly. In particular, the authors want to verify if family care and home duties, still strongly unbalanced against women, and the welfare system play a significant role in the gender gap.FindingsResults highlight a very complex scenario, characterized by the persistence of gender inequalities everywhere, even if at different degrees, with very strong imbalances in the time spent at work in response to the family commitments.Research limitations/implicationsThe actual determinants of gender disparities in the labour market are very difficult to identify because of the lack of adequate data and the difficulties in measuring some factors determining female behaviour. The additional information used in this research can only partially accomplish this task.Originality/valueHowever, for the first time, this paper uses information on different aspects and causes of the gender gap, including proxies of mainly unobservable aspects, in order to achieve at least partial measurement of this phenomenon.

The Dynamics of Poverty

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anirudh Krishna
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Poverty Dynamics ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Chronic Poverty ◽  
Ethnographic Studies ◽  
The Social

This article examines the dynamics of poverty and explains why poverty dynamics studies are necessary: to estimate the risk of impoverishment and the probability of escaping poverty; to identify the reasons associated with poverty descents and escapes; to distinguish between transient and chronic poverty; and to elucidate the social mobility prospects of individuals in different economic situations. The article begins with an overview of three types of approaches used in investigating poverty dynamics: panel data studies, participatory poverty assessments and ethnographic studies, and mixed-method studies. This is followed by a discussion of key findings from poverty dynamics studies; one finding is that poverty creation and poverty reduction occur everywhere in tandem. The article concludes by outlining future directions for research into poverty dynamics.

scholarly journals Young Workers’ Perceptions of Trade Unions in Portugal

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 574-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Kovács ◽  
João Dias ◽  
Maria da Conceição Cerdeira
Keyword(s):  
Collective Action ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Young Workers ◽  
Family Status ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Concentration

This paper seeks to capture how unions are perceived by young workers in Portugal and to identify different types of perceptions. Our analysis considers both structural factors and subjective experiences and is based on semi-structured interviews with young people working in sectors with a high concentration of youth employment. The fact that young workers are increasingly exposed to the pressures of unemployment and precarious work might suggest that there is homogeneity in their perceptions about trade unions and collective action. However, our results show that young workers’ perceptions are not homogenous and that they interconnect with distinct segments, characterized by different socio-economic conditions, as defined by family status, education level and position in the labour market. Three types of perceptions were identified by content analysis of the interviews: positive, negative and critical perceptions. A final segment of younger and less-skilled workers, of families with low educational and economic resources and having left school prematurely, have neither information nor any understanding about unions. Our findings support the thesis that diversity of educational and early labour market experiences, which characterize transition processes to adulthood, shape the relation between young workers and unions, in particular the motivation to join unions. Capturing the diversity of young workers experiences and perceptions is a challenge to industrial relations research, as well as to trade unionism. It can provide unions with important insights into how to adapt their strategies to recruit new young members and to mobilize the latent interests of young workers in collective action.

Horizontal and vertical labour market movements in Austria: Do occupational transitions take women across gendered lines?

2020 ◽  
pp. 001139212096976
Author(s):  
Nina-Sophie Fritsch ◽  
Bernd Liedl ◽  
Gerhard Paulinger
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Gender Effect ◽  
Significant Decline ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Horizontal Movement ◽  
Flexible Employment ◽  
Occupational Transitions ◽  
Vertical Positioning

The gendered division of occupations is a persistent characteristic of the Austrian labour market. Furthermore, we can observe more flexible employment biographies, where sequential employment episodes and occupational transitions become an important part. On this account, the article argues that both gender inequalities and labour market movements need to be examined simultaneously. The authors therefore analyse gender-(un)typed horizontal occupational transitions and their influence on the vertical positioning, based on the Austrian Micro Census (2008–2018). The results reveal that gender-typed occupational transitions are regaining relevance and that the gender effect is reversing in that women increasingly leave gender-untyped occupations. The findings also demonstrate that this gender-typed horizontal movement yields a significant decline in occupational status for women, which even increases when women become mothers. Based on their models the authors find no negative effects for fathers.

scholarly journals ‘One Size Fits All’ – A Default Policy that is Serving No One Well

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (S1) ◽  
pp. S28-S43
Author(s):  
Alison Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Educational Expansion ◽  
Dominant Model ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Zero Sum

This article will analyse the rather uniform ways in which developed countries, and notably those of Europe, have moved from systems in which tiny numbers of young people attended university to systems of mass and still expanding higher education. Although there are some surface differences between countries in organisation and levels of participation, these have actually decreased in recent decades, and convergence is continuing. This convergence reflects a general move towards a dominant model of tertiary education which gives priority and prestige to academic certification. The economic and policy drivers have been very similar. In the first instance, a changing labour market and growing middle class expanded demand for tertiary provision. Governments then became convinced that expanding higher education was an effective supply-side policy to promote growth and productivity, and an effective way to promote social mobility and equality; and so educational expansion and spending were privileged. However, in recent years, there has been a growing mismatch between the labour market and tertiary provision, which it is very hard to correct, partly because of politicians’ beliefs but also because the ‘signalling’ function of academic education has become paramount, and families quite rationally pursue high-prestige (but zero-sum) options for their children. Although there may be some degree of self-correction in the system, this is by no means assured and governments need to consider, actively, how to promote attractive alternatives to university study.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document