Identifying the roots of inequality of opportunity in South Korea by application of algorithmic approaches

This study identifies the roots of inequality of opportunity in South Korea by applying algorithmic approaches to survey data. In contrast to extant studies, we identify the roots of inequality of opportunity by estimating the importance of variables, interpreting the estimated results, and analyzing the importance of individual variables, instead of measuring inequality of opportunity. We apply a decision tree classification algorithm, light gradient boosting machine, and SHapley Additive exPlanations to estimate the importance of the studied variables and interpret the estimated results. According to the estimated results, the region where the individuals grew up, their gender, and their father’s job during their childhood were the main factors contributing to inequality of opportunity. This study proves that the considerable regional disparity and social environment perpetuate gender inequality in South Korean society. It argues that an individual’s socio-economic achievements are strongly influenced by their father’s background, thus, outweighing other family background-related factors. Individuals receive unequal opportunities owing to a combination of region, father’s background, and their own gender, thereby, affecting their socioeconomic achievements. If these factors remain influential from birth to adulthood, removing the conditions that structure them would be one way to achieve equality of opportunity.

The New Generation of Professional Soccer Talent Is Born under the Bias of the RAE: Relative Age Effect in International Male Youth Soccer Championships

In 2019, numerous championships of youth categories soccer national teams were held. In the present study, we analyzed the existence of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) in four major male championships that, due to their importance and participating teams, most likely brought together the great bulk of the players who will dominate professional soccer in the next decade. Participants were professional and amateur youth male soccer players who participated in the last international championships: UEFA European Under-21 Championship (2017–2019); UEFA European Under-19 Championship (2019); South American Youth Football Championship (also known as Conmebol U-20) (2019); and FIFA U-20 World Cup (2019), with 823 players (20.25 ± 0.84 years). In the four championships analyzed, the existence of RAE was found for all players (p < 0.001). Analyzing the players when considering their position on the pitch and their championship, RAE was found, statistically significant, in 10 of the 16 classifications. New generations of elite soccer players arrive with a clear bias in the selection of talent; an unfair bias, based on unequal opportunities in early categories, which should be reviewed by sports authorities.

Objective and bias-free measures of candidate motivation during job applications

Society suffers from biases and discrimination, a longstanding dilemma that stems from ungrounded, subjective judgments. Especially unequal opportunities in labor remain a persistent challenge, despite the recent inauguration of top-down diplomatic measures. Here we propose a solution by using an objective approach to the measurement of nonverbal behaviors of job candidates that trained for a job assessment. First, we implemented and developed artificial intelligence, computer vision, and unbiased machine learning software to automatically detect facial muscle activity and emotional expressions to predict the candidates’ self-reported motivation levels. The motivation judgments by our model outperformed recruiters’ unreliable, invalid, and sometimes biased judgments. These findings mark the necessity and usefulness of novel, bias-free, and scientific approaches to candidate and employee screening and selection procedures in recruitment and human resources.

Air-conditioning and the adaptation cooling deficit in emerging economies

Increasing temperatures will make space cooling a necessity for maintain comfort and protecting human health, and rising income levels will allow more people to purchase and run air conditioners. Here we show that, in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Mexico income and humidity-adjusted temperature are common determinants for adopting air-conditioning, but their relative contribution varies in relation to household characteristics. Adoption rates are higher among households living in higher quality dwellings in urban areas, and among those with higher levels of education. Air-conditioning is unevenly distributed across income levels, making evident the existence of a disparity in access to cooling devices. Although the adoption of air-conditioning could increase between twofold and sixteen-fold by 2040, from 64 to 100 million families with access to electricity will not be able to adequately satisfy their demand for thermal comfort. The need to sustain electricity expenditure in response to higher temperatures can also create unequal opportunities to adapt.

Bridging the Digital Divide as a Basic Imperative of a Higher Education Modernization

The article is devoted to a thorough study of digital transformation as a necessary condition for the modernization of higher education, which provides for the creation of a modern digital university, which is undergoing radical digitalization of the management systems, educational activities, research, human capital development, creation of digital infrastructure and digital ecosystem. The digital divide is considered as a component of information inequality, which has a technological nature and characterizes unequal opportunities in terms of access, use and production of information and knowledge, as well as the use of new technologies for their effective use in practice.

Layers of Inequality: Unequal Opportunities and Skin Color in Mexico

We document the contribution of skin color toward quantifying inequality of opportunity over a proxy indicator of wealth. Our Ferreira–Gignoux estimates of inequality of opportunity as a share of total wealth inequality show that once parental wealth is included as a circumstance variable, the share of inequality of opportunity rises above 40%, overall and for every age cohort. By contrast, the contribution of skin tone to total inequality of opportunity remains minor throughout.

Providing Equity in Gifted Education in a Single-State Country

Turkey adopts a single-state (centralized/unitary) system that results in following the same identification procedures and providing similar service delivery options for the entire country. At first glance, this might seem like a fair way to achieve equity within public school gifted programs. However, a close look at this system reveals several handicaps such as implementing the same teacher training program for all teacher candidates, ignoring the unequal opportunities provided in the most (İstanbul) and least (Şırnak) economically developed cities, and the accessibility of services delivered to gifted students. Turkey has paid much attention to the education of the gifted and taken several important steps for improvement in the last three decades. However, a need for bigger changes to achieve equity in gifted education is clear. With a careful planning and implementation, appropriate changes might pave the way for gifted students to access more equal opportunities to fulfill their potential.

Inequality of Opportunity in Education and Sustainable Development: The Case of Bangladesh

This paper examines how the sustainable development aspirations of an economy or country are impacted by unequal opportunities, especially in education, by employing balanced panel data from 2000 to 2020 of Bangladesh. Random effects, ordinary regression, general trends used to understand the impact of inequality in education on Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). The empirical study based on panel data, extensive literature review and qualitative analysis confirms that the agenda-2030, which Bangladesh would like to achieve along with other developing economies by 2030, is highly affected by long-prevailing unequal opportunities in access to quality education. The male-female, rural-urban, poor- non-poor disparity in enrolment, and literacy rate, low teacher-student ratio, low public spending on education as a percentage of GDP, higher individual out of pocket expenditure, and the significantly large drop-out rate among female and regional disparity simultaneously lead to learning poverty and unequal employment opportunities. The higher the level of education, the lower the incidence of poverty among people. Education is highly interlinked with most others SDGs; any shorts of inability to guarantee equal opportunities in education profoundly interfere with a nation's dream of ending poverty and promote a peaceful and just society. Without inclusive, equitable quality education, intergenerational inequality perpetuates by leaving the poor in the cohort of the poverty trap. Alternatively, ensuring fairness in achieving skill-based lifelong learning opportunities for people accelerates a country's vision to build an effective, prosperous and just planet. The study also shows a country's advancement in different socio-economic indicators may halt in the absence of equal access to quality education for all in the long run.

Challenges South African youth face in education and their quest to eradicate issues of the past

The youth of South Africa today face many challenges in their daily lives. The majority of South Africa's population is made up of youth- people aged between 15 and 35 years old. The youth in South Africa face challenges such as crime, unemployment, poverty, and most importantly unequal opportunities in education. These challenges should not be present in the daily lives of South African youth, especially since it has been over two decades since South Africa’s first democratic elections. The challenges that are faced in the education system is explored and solutions are suggested to help end the chain of poverty.