Energy taxation, subsidy removal and poverty in Mexico

Equity and efficiency are crucial issues behind any tax reform, but they are particularly relevant in countries with high inequality and large shares of poverty. This paper provides a comprehensive socio-economic empirical assessment of Mexico's proposed (and partially implemented) tax reforms in the energy domain, and of a hypothetical partial removal of existing electricity subsidies. Using a rich household income and expenditure survey within the context of a demand system adjustment of non-durable goods, the article provides the public-revenue, environmental and distributional impacts from the simulation of different combinations of energy taxation, subsidy-removal and distributive offsets. The paper also provides detailed ex-ante evidence on the effects of compensatory devices that may contribute to the successful implementation of energy reform packages and significant poverty alleviation in Mexico.

Intra–and inter–household network capital

The aim of this paper is to outline the theoretical model of an empirical piece of research we plan to carry out in the next two years. Our model emphasizes the intertwined nature of intra-household processes such as production, consumption, and reproduction. As for intra-household processes, our approach treats household members not as isolated actors but as interrelated within the household. The focus of our analysis is network capital, which (1) on the individual level expresses the activity of a household member in interhousehold networks (e.g. contacting relatives), (2) on the intra-household relational level assesses the position of household members as regards each other (relations among network-poor and network-rich household members), and (3) on the household level refers to the aggregated value and structure of the households’ network capital (e.g. network-poor and network-rich households). The structure of the paper is as follows: after introducing our household concept in general, we outline the alternative concepts of household as a firm and the “container” of reproductive processes. In the next chapters we outline the concept of network capital, and operationalize this idea as an intertwined model of intra- and inter-household processes. Next, we develop an extended household model and incorporate our network capital approach into this. Finally, we outline the next steps we intend to take towards empirically verifying our model by selecting a “best of” collection of previous empirical analyses about inter- and intra-household processes.

Transcendent Parenting and the Media-Rich Household

This first chapter introduces the concept of transcendent parenting and how it emerges out of the media-rich household in Asia. It defines transcendent parenting—what constitutes it and how it is manifested in parenting practices through always on, always available mobile media. It then covers the landscape of media use in urban middle-class households in Asia, from China to South Korea to Vietnam, with a focus on Singapore. This is followed by a discussion on typical media-use patterns throughout the child’s life, from preschool to emerging adulthood. It ends with an outline of the remaining book chapters.

Childhood (c.100–c.88)

Stories about the Younger Cato as a child may give some insight into the childhood of his older half-sister, Servilia. She grew up in a rich household, the headquarters of her uncle M. Drusus’s intense political activity. Her academic and social education will have been given by slaves, freedmen, and male and female relations. Drusus, who was trying to enfranchise the Italians, was murdered in his home. Servilia’s father Q. Caepio was killed in war. Servilia and her siblings were left probably to the care of a grandmother, Cornelia. A circle of kin, especially women, was available to provide support, role models, and an involvement with politics.

Social Class and Disaster Exposure

Risk of disaster exposure is often associated with prior conditions of economic deprivation, and it is held that risk would be less for an asset-rich household than an asset-poor one. Observational data may, however, contradict this expected pattern. The contradiction is resolved when we examine risk distribution through the lens of Weberian class distribution, and associate risk with peoples’ class situations. This paper draws upon the household survey data from Tanzania to illustrate this argument.