Five Centuries of Inequality and Socioeconomic Transformation in the Barcelona Area, 1451-1880

Author(s):  
Joana Maria Pujadas-Mora ◽  
Gabriel Brea-Martínez

Unequal distribution of wealth is a matter of growing concern in contemporary society, but it is also one with deep roots in the past. Several authors have traced the origins of this inequality by reconstructing historical series and collecting and harmonising data from sources and records with uneven territorial and temporal cover (Milanovic et al. (2011), Alfani (2015) Piketty (2014 and 2020)). Few places in the world have data series that make it possible to reconstruct the patterns of socioeconomic inequality by drawing on a single source. Barcelona, including its hinterland, is one of these places. The Barcelona Historical Marriage Database, which was created under the auspices of the Advanced Grant project Five Centuries of Marriages headed by Professor Anna Cabré, has made it possible to analyse, over a period of five centuries, the distribution of wealth by studying the taxes levied on marriages held in the Diocese from 1451 to 1880. This number of Perspectives Demogràfiques offers an account of the evolution of inequality from the ancien régime through to the consolidation of industrialisation, the concentration of wealth, and the composition and replacement of economic elites in the Barcelona area.

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42
Author(s):  
Bala Ramasamy ◽  
Matthew Yeung

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between FDI and wage rates using the wellestablished Granger causality method but with a panel data setting. The paper considers the dynamic relationship between these two variables for 27 provinces over the 1985 – 2000 period. We also distinguish between the coastal and inland provinces. Results indicate that Granger causality runs from FDI to wages for the coastal provinces but no significant relationships are found for the inland provinces. These results imply that FDI is a contributing factor for increasing wage rates in China. In particular, our findings show that the “cheap labour” hypothesis does not apply for China. It further indicates that increasing inflow of FDI into the coastal provinces relative to the inland provinces exacerbate the unequal distribution of wealth between the regions.


Author(s):  
Zoltan J. Acs

This chapter examines the American economy and American-style capitalism in the context of the global economy. It first provides an overview of American exceptionalism before revisiting who the Americans are and comparing the American model of liberal democracy with that of East Asia and the European Union. It then reflects on what America's future looks like and what the world will look like in 2050. It concludes with an assessment of whether the American model that is spreading around the world in bits and pieces could be better promoted. The chapter suggests that American-style capitalism, with its interplay between entrepreneurship and philanthropy, on the one hand, and its balancing act between wealth and opportunity, on the other, should be encouraged despite the unequal distribution of wealth entrepreneurship creates.


1995 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Robertson

My contention in this paper is that many of our commonly accepted ideas about property are defective. But these deficiencies are not just simple, surface mistakes that could be cleared up easily. They stem from a flawed conceptual framework used in making sense of and justifying property relationships. I also contend that this flawed conceptual framework maintains property relationships that are unjust. These property relationships produce an unequal distribution of wealth, status, and power, as well as reduced opportunities for autonomy and self-development. This is unjust because, I believe, no satisfactory justification has been given for this inequality. Exposing some weaknesses of this conceptual framework is thus a step in promoting more egalitarian property relationships.


2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
José León García-Rodríguez ◽  
Francisco J. García-Rodríguez ◽  
Carlos Castilla-Gutiérrez ◽  
Silvério Adriano Major

Abstract:Angola is a large country with a relatively small population and abundant natural resources, including oil reserves. The high price fetched by oil, the mainstay of the Angolan economy, on international markets has helped this leading producer attain growth rates that are among the highest in the world. However, Angola is also noted for its unequal distribution of wealth and notorious political corruption. This article seeks to explore this paradox within the framework of the so-called resource curse theory and analyze the role played by the oil industry in the process.


Author(s):  
Abeer Al-Zahrani

The aim of the study is to identify the financial implications that is arise from the economic inequality. In this aspect, it has been identified that Economic inequality refers to unequal distribution of wealth among different groups and communities in a society. In addition to this, it leads to generation of income gaps in a society, which as the phrase of rich get richer while the poor get poorer. In relation to this, the applied method of this research is qualitative research, which is used for collecting and analyzing information of the research. The collected data of this research include different secondary sources, which include published data, journal articles and books. The primary objective of this study is to determine the extent to which the financial consequences has been developed with economic inequalities. Moreover, the finding of this study identifies that there is significant impact of economic inequality on financial implications. Furthermore, a finding of the study reflected that economic inequality has been developed with multiple factors that are affecting overall economy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-60
Author(s):  
Liicka Andima ◽  
Rewai Makamani

Political cartoons communicate powerful politically inclined renditions reflective of how cartoonists view contestable contemporary issues in society. All over the world, political cartoons that satirize governance practices are a common feature in the press. As in economies of many African states, from 2016 to 2019 the Namibian economy has generally been on the decline, thereby calling for new thinking in socio-economic and fiscal policies of the country. This qualitative study employs the connotative and denotative model of analysis from the Bathesian semiological perspective to reveal how a purposive sample of political cartoons in the Namibian newspapers, exposes how Dudley satirizes mainly against poor service delivery, corruption, and unequal distribution of wealth in Namibia. The study recommends the adoption of a servant-leadership approach based on Ubuntu.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Gisele Maynard-Tucker

This paper examines the insecurities facing the delivery of HIV/AIDS programs in Nigeria, Guinea and Haiti. These countries depend on international aid and private foundations to fund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, but funding is limited. Foreign companies exploit local resources and both economic mismanagement and corruption contribute to rising poverty. In addition, there is a highly unequal distribution of wealth in these countries, with more than 70 percent of the population living below the poverty line of $1 a day. Because of the burdens of corruption, lack of commitment and lack of resources, these governments cannot provide and sustain their own HIV/AIDS programs without international aid. Many patients not enrolled in a donor's program cannot afford to pay for treatment, laboratory tests and the cost of opportunistic sicknesses. This paper suggests new strategies that encourage peer-education prevention, consolidation of the health systems and HIV/AIDS programs and sustainable funding through an HIV/AIDS tax imposed on foreign companies.


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