Unequal Distribution Of Income Research Articles

Climate disasters and the difficult human/nature relationship

Environmental disasters are concrete examples of the difficult coexistence between man and nature and expose the fragility of ecosystems and the urgent need to rethink the development model of contemporary society. With a socio-political approach, the text analyses the relationship between man and nature and the environmental tragedies caused by global warming, denouncing the development process of industrialised societies and questioning the environment destroyed by the diversity of human actions. It discusses extreme weather events that have resulted in major environmental disasters, both in Brazil and in other countries, and provides quantitative data on the victims of these disasters. It reveals the unequal distribution of income and space that exposes the most vulnerable populations to the rigours of climate change and argues that man's predatory relationship with nature is the driving force behind environmental degradation and is based on the unethical interests of the market. He concludes on the importance of urban planning, the projection of more humane spaces and obedience to environmental protection laws.

The Political Economy of Rent-Seeking Behavior and the Connection with Unearned Income and Inequality

For decades, inequality has been one of the most important problems to be tackled, and studies of income (or wealth) inequality are the source of much research. When we deal with the sources of unequal income distribution, and if a factor is unproductive but only reasonable in the accumulation of wealth, it has a diverting impact on income. In this line, rent-seeking activities are a structure suitable for this content. Rent-seeking is aimed at gaining without contributing to the number of goods and services and shows the characteristic of unearned income. Earned income is paid for the labor from physical and mental activities. Unearned income does not have this feature and is a return on income due to investment in income. According to Stiglitz (2016), rent-seeking is a struggle to get a larger share of wealth. Taking larger shares is linked to declining shares and leads to inequality within society. In the context of the political economy of rent-seeking behavior, we examine various approaches. In addition, we illustrate how rent-seeking is related to unearned income and inequality.

Exploring the causes and consequences of income inequality in India

The unequal income distribution among people or households within a society is called income inequality. It is a crucial socioeconomic problem that has an impact on the foundation of all countries. With its wide diversity and intricate social structure, India is a country where economic inequality poses special difficulties and ramifications. This essay investigates the origins and effects of income disparity in India, looking at its historical development, relevance, and the urgent need for in-depth study in this area. The degree to which income is dispersed unevenly among a population is known as income inequality. Numerous income distribution ratios, the Lorenz curve, and the Gini coefficient are among the statistical methods frequently used to measure this inequality. Greater inequality is indicated by a higher Gini coefficient, and more equitable income distribution is shown by a lower coefficient. Income inequality can take many different forms in India, such as regional differences, urban-rural splits, and socioeconomic stratifications.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIAL POLICY.

Since the 1990s, the word globalization has established itself in the colloquial dictionary and has gradually become dominant in political, economic and academic discourses. Globalization has taken the world to a new level and in the modern era it has acquired an increasingly large-scale character. The transition from industrial societies to post-industrial tracks gave a push for world development and accelerated the process of globalization and gave a ne w orientation to the world economy. The presented work describes a number of issues related to the positive and negative meaning of globalization and its effects on economic and social policy. There are reviewed the importance of international organizations in the development of social policy and, in general, actual issues and approaches of global social policy. Globalization has been blamed for such processes as unequal distribution of income among countries, reducing the role of the state in regulating the economy, pressure on states to pursue to adopt market-friendly policies that prompte trade investment, as a result, social tension is increasing, the role of the state in the social sphere is weakening, the influence of Western values is strengthening, and national traditions are being neglected. The economic and financial crisis of one powerful country has a negative impact on other countries of the world. Despite the negative aspects, the benefit of globalization to the social welfare of mankind is great. Globalization is considered to be the basis of many successes for states, reducing poverty, increasing economic prosperity, developing better services and increasing awareness of human rights. Even those who are skeptical of the benefits brought by globalization must be convinced that there is no alternative, so avoiding it means isolating the country. In fact, the world is gaining new standards. Keywords: relevance of globalization, advantages and disadvantages of globalization, future of globalization, convergence, decommodification, stratification, elements of globalization, types of welfare state.

Identifying Gender-Specific Risk Factors for Income Poverty across Poverty Levels in Urban Mexico: A Model-Based Boosting Approach

This paper aims to identify income-poverty risk factors in urban Mexican households. Special emphasis is paid to examine differences between female- and male-headed families. To this, a dataset with 45 theoretical factors at the individual/household, community, and regional levels, integrating information from nine sources, is created. To these data, additive quantile models are estimated via the boosting algorithm. From a gender standpoint, the following main contributions come from this paper. First, educational lag is particularly relevant for female-headed households. Second, there is a gendered life cycle in the income trajectory for poor households with a head having a medium level of education. Third, some households, traditionally disregarded, are found to be even poorer: those lacking social connectedness, without credit cards, with an extended composition, in which the female head spends a large part of her time on housework, and families headed by young women with a medium level of education. Finally, communities and regions where families have a lower income-to-poverty ratio are characterized as having an unequal income distribution, lower human development, lower levels of women’s economic participation, poor quality of services, and lower gender-based violence levels in the public sphere but higher gender-based violence levels in the family context.

The Income Distribution and Household Food Security of Beef Cattle Farmers in The Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

This research aimed to calculate income and its distribution as well as the food security rate and to analyze factors affecting food security rate of independent and profit-sharing farmers of beef cattle fattening in Special Region of Yogyakarta. An explanatory was used as the method for the research in Gunungkidul, Sleman, Bantul, and Kulonprogo Regencies by quota sampling on 120 independent and 120 profit-sharing farmers. Data were analyzed through income formulation, R/C Ratio, Gini Ratio, cross-classification of food expenditure share and energy consumption (Table of Jonsson and Toole), and ordered logistic model. The research results indicate that the incomes of independent and profit-sharing farmers were IDR1,079,033.00 and IDR1,023,324.00, lower than the Minimum Wage of Special Region of Yogyakarta which amounted to IDR1,337,645.25. The business was still accountable because the R/C ratio had a value larger than one. The values of the Gini Ratio of independent and sharing farmers were 0.310 and 0.219 which categorized as the low-scale unequal income distribution. Food security rates of independent and profit-sharing farmers were 22.5% and 13.33% of food secure, 15.83% and 18.33% of food vulnerable, 40.0% and 38.34% of less-secure food, and 21.67% and 30.0% of food insecure. The determining variables were the price of rice (p<0.01), price of vegetable (p<0.05), price of beef (p<0.01), price of cooking oil (p<0.05), and the price of instant noodle (p<0.01), household income (p>0.05), education dummy (p<0.05), cattle group dummy (p>0.05), the number of family member (p<0.01), and the housewife education (p>0.05).

Double (Dis)Advantage: The Cumulative Role of Parental Resources and the Institutional Context in Intergenerational Time and Money Transfers

Abstract This study addresses an underexplored mechanism of social inequality transmission, namely, intergenerational transfers from older parents to their adult children in terms of (i) money and (ii) time (specifically, devoted to sporadic or regular childcare). A yet unaddressed question in the literature is whether these two resources are transferred in a cumulative (i.e., both resources being transferred) or compensatory (i.e., only one resource being transferred) manner and how such cumulation or compensation depends on parental income and the wider institutional context. Filling this lacuna, this study investigates whether grandparents who have fewer financial resources compensate for their lack of opportunities to provide financial transfers to their adult children by transferring more time to their children, or whether higher-income parents are more likely to transfer both more time and money than lower-income parents, resulting in greater advantage among their receiving children (cumulation). Drawing on six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, this study analyzes transfers from more than 53,000 grandparents aged 50 or older to their adult children across European countries. The findings show that higher-income parents, relative to lower-income parents, are more likely to provide both time (more precisely, sporadic childcare) and financial support to their adult children, yielding evidence for the cumulation of transfers. Further, evidence of a double (dis)advantage emerges, as social gradients in (financial and regular time) transfers are more pronounced in contexts with smaller public expenditures on formal childcare and a more unequal distribution of household incomes.

Does artificial intelligence promote common prosperity within enterprises? —Evidence from Chinese-listed companies in the service industry

As the largest industry that absorbs labor from different levels of employment and provides different levels of labor remuneration, the service industry has faced severe challenges from the wave of artificial intelligence replacement. This study examines whether artificial intelligence promotes shared prosperity among service industry enterprises based on microdata of listed companies in the Chinese service industry from 2008 to 2022. The main research results indicate that the application of artificial intelligence in the service industry significantly reduces enterprises' labor income share. The main mechanisms of action include the employment structure effect of squeezing out low-educated and frontline workers and the wage-productivity effect that improves labor productivity but benefits capital income, leading to an unequal income distribution. Research has found that improving the integration of regional labor markets and workers' bargaining power can help alleviate the negative effects of artificial intelligence applications on the share of labor income in the service industry. This study helps developing countries, such as China, manage the impact of the widespread application of artificial intelligence on the labor market in the service industry and provides important policy insights for achieving common prosperity.

Effect of Global Economic Disparity on World Economy and Human Welfare

Global economic disparity refers to the unequal distribution of income and opportunity between different groups in society, especially between developed and less developed countries. The essay consists of five parts: an introduction, an analysis of the economic impact of disparity, a recommendation of Chinas stance, a discussion of the tools to carry out the stance, and a conclusion. The essay argues that global economic disparity is detrimental to the world economy and human welfare, and that China should adopt a global perspective and cooperate with developing countries to reduce disparity and promote mutual benefits. The essay suggests some possible ways for China to implement this stance, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, bilateral local currency swap agreements, and offshoring labor-intensive industries. The essay also acknowledges the risks and challenges involved in these actions, and calls for more research and dialogue on this issue. The essay aims to contribute to the academic debate on global governance and Chinas role in it.

Globalization: Does it have Effects on Nigeria’s Governance System?

Even though globalization has made countries across the world more connected than ever, there are still controversies over its benefits regarding socio-economic development and good governance in developing countries. Against this backdrop, the study investigates the link between globalization and governance in Nigeria. This is with a view to determining the implications of globalization on the governance of Nigeria. The study, which relies heavily on secondary data, shows that the country’s political authority has been depleted in order to conform to global trends. Globalization has affected the quality of bureaucratic governance, puts pressure on governance on whether to open up or restrict the economy, and exacerbated the unequal distribution of incomes because of the relative differences in the mobility of labor and capital. The study further revealed that globalization triggered the unregulated use of the internet and exposed people to illicit activities. It also contributed to the transmission of diseases, including HIV/AIDS, the Ebola virus and COVID-19. Globalization also encouraged multinationals to access Nigeria, thereby adding to environmental pollution, climate change, food insecurity, and health-related challenges, especially, as a result of oil exploration. These activities have continued to disrupt the people’s means of livelihood, and consequently provoked political and social agitation and engendered secessionist groups, threatening the unity and existence of the country. The study, therefore, concludes that globalization has caused more damage than good to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic activities.

The Impact of Trade Openness on Sustainable Development: Study Case on G20 Group Countries

The issues concerning environmental damage, poverty, and unequal income distribution have taken center stage in contemporary policies aimed at sustainable development. Amidst various policy measures, trade policies continue to hold a prominent position due to their direct and indirect connections with sustainable development. It is widely believed that trade openness can incentivize both production and consumption. However, the rapid economic integration resulting from trade openness can also have adverse effects on society, employment, and the environment. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of trade openness and other relevant factors on sustainable development in the G20 countries. This research adopts a quantitative approach, utilizing secondary data. Data analysis is conducted using a Heterogeneous Dynamic Panel econometric method, covering the period from 1990 to 2019. The findings of this study reveal that in the short term, sustainable development in the G20 countries is positively and significantly influenced by capital formation and environmental quality. Conversely, in the long run, sustainable development is positively and significantly affected by trade openness. Consequently, the recommendation stemming from this research for G20 countries is to further develop trade policies that prioritize and support sustainable development goals.

Measuring the effect of economic indicators of low and middle-income countries on suicide rates by using panel data analysis method

ABSTRACT Suicide is the ending of one’s own life for economic, psychological, and social reasons. Suicide cases worldwide occur mostly in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of economic indicators of low and middle-income countries on suicide rates by panel data analysis method. The dependent variable is the (crude) suicide rate. The independent variables are gross domestic product, per capita income, general unemployment rate, poverty level, and Gini index value. In the study, two different econometric models were developed. In Model 1, it was predicted that a 1% increase in the poverty level of countries in the middle-income group could lead to an increase of 0.66% in the suicide rate. In Model-2, it was estimated that a 1% increase in the per capita income of low-income countries would cause a 0.52% decrease in the suicide rate. It was predicted that a possible increase of 1% in the Gini index value would cause an increase of 0.24% and 0.32% in the suicide rates of middle- and low-income countries, respectively. Although there are various factors affecting the suicide rate in society, there are often economic reasons at the root of the problem. The consequences of the unequal distribution of income in a poorer society can be more devastating. Although the results of the study are important in terms of revealing the effect of economic indicators on suicide rates more research is needed in this area.

Consumer protection legislation in South Africa and its impact on promotional strategies: Perspectives of retail businesses

In the past, unfair business practices resulted in consumers suffering a host of abuses. Poverty, unequal distribution of income and high litigation costs presented a challenge for consumers seeking justice. The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) was enacted to protect consumers and prohibit unfair business practices. It also placed restrictions on promotional methods. The overall aim of this paper is to evaluate, through the findings from an empirical study, how consumer protection legislation in South Africa impacts on promotional strategies of retail businesses. Using a qualitative methodology, the study evaluated the implications of the CPA for retail businesses in South Africa. It firstly, explored specific aspects pertaining to which provisions of the CPA affect the promotional efforts of retail businesses (small to medium) in Durban; and secondly, it determined the implications of the implementation of the CPA on promotional strategies of small to medium retail businesses in the Durban area. Eighteen structured interviews were conducted with marketing managers and business owners. The findings from the study identified several provisions of the CPA that have an impact on the way promotions are being conducted currently. The study also showed that preferences for promotional tools are based on cost and on reaching larger target audiences quickly, and that more expensive and labour-intensive measures were adopted to address the restrictions of the CPA. Keywords: CPA, retail businesses, labour-intensive

Why We Don’t Mind the Gap

Abstract Rising socio-economic inequality has been paired with tolerance of inequality. When explaining individual tolerance of unequal income distribution, contextual factors capturing socio-economic conditions and objective inequality are less important than individual-level values and beliefs about the origins of and reasonings behind the unequal circumstances. These inequality-legitimizing narratives constitute a range of ideas from equal opportunities and individual liberties to egalitarian values and beliefs about the function of meritocracy. Findings from the linear mixed effects models on the cross-sectional data from the Integrated Values Study (2017–2020) on 34 OECD countries support the argument that individuals’ agreement with inequality legitimizing narratives predicts higher tolerance of unequal income distribution. However, country-level objective inequality and economic prosperity both fail to directly predict tolerance of unequal incomes. When compared to contextual factors, the acceptance of inequality legitimizing narratives is a significantly better predictor of inequality tolerance.

Income-Related Inequities in Primary and Specialist Care Among First Nations Peoples Living Off-Reserve in Canada.

Improving equity in healthcare is a primary goal of health policy in Canada. Although the investigation of equity in healthcare utilization is common in the general population, little research has been conducted to assess equity in healthcare utilization within First Nations peoples living in Canada. To examine income-related inequities in primary care (family doctor/general practitioner and nurse practitioner care) and specialist care within status and non-status First Nations adults living off-reserve. Using the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), a nationally representative survey of Indigenous peoples living off-reserve in Canada, we analyzed income-related inequities in healthcare among Indigenous adults (>18 years) who self-identified as a member of any First Nations group in Canada. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the utilization of primary and specialist care. The Horizontal Inequity index (HI), which measures unequal healthcare use by income for equal need, was used to quantify and decompose income-related inequities for primary and specialist care for status and non-status, and total First Nations groups. The regression results revealed higher primary and specialist care use among females, high socioeconomic status (high income and more educated) and status First Nations peoples in Canada. The positive values of the HI suggested a higher concentration of primary care and specialist care utilization among higher income First Nations peoples after adjusting for healthcare need. These pro-rich inequities persisted for the total First Nations populations, and for those in each status group individually. The decomposition results suggested observed inequities in both primary and specialist care among First Nations peoples can be predominantly attributed to the unequal distribution of education and income. Although primary and specialist services in Canada are free at the point of the provision, we found pro-rich inequities in healthcare use among First Nations adults living off-reserve in Canada. These results warrant policies and initiatives to address barriers to healthcare use within and outside health system among low-income First Nations peoples living off-reserve.

Regimes for the execution of sentences and rights and obligations of sentenced persons

Correcting deviant behavior has been a problem for society since ancient times. In order to find out what is the most appropriate way to proceed with the retouching of deviant behavior, we must know about the cause of the criminal urge, look for the psychological springs that impel an individual to resort to committing violations of the criminal law. A determining factor is also played by the significant discrepancy between social categories through the unequal distribution of income, which also influences the quality of living standards, living and purchasing power. In this respect, it was desired to join the OECD, being perceived as a means of activating national reforms that have as main objective the improvement of the material situation of citizens. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international body that aims to ensure sustainable economic growth and social stability of 35 developed countries that accept the principles of democracy and free market economy. With Romania's accession to the European Union, it was also desired to get closer to the other European states in order to borrow the methods and measures applied that contribute to maintaining a state of general stability. However, integration did not occur with accession, as demonstrated by repeated refusals and barriers to acceptance into various European and international organizations, the most famous case being the desire to enter the Schengen area, a wish rejected, even if the accession criteria are met. Due to such a vast history with reference to the penitentiary setting, but also due to the worldly character attributed to the execution of custodial measures in recent years, we will go through together the evolution of the penitentiary regime and of the rights and obligations of convicted persons, so that in the end we will see if all these measures to correct those who conduct themselves deviate from the rules admitted by society lead to the expected result.

An analysis of the effect of fiscal expenditure on the income distribution of Chilean households

This study analyzes the effect of government spending on income distribution in Chile for 2016 using a multiplier model with the Social Accounting Matrix. The results indicate that increasing fiscal expenditure has a regressive effect on the income share of households in the richest quintile and widens the income gap between the two poorest quintiles and the third and fourth quintiles. When the effect of fiscal expenditure is measured by its nominal impact, households with the highest income receive approximately ten times more income than those with the lowest income. Thus, the regressivity of the income share of the richest households conceals an unequal distribution of the nominal income generated by the fiscal expenditure. Using counterfactual simulations, we suggested that fiscal expenditures could become more equalitarian through policies affecting the distribution of labor payments.

County-Level Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and Deaths of Despair in the US, 2000-2019

Increasing mortality from suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related liver disease (collectively referred to as deaths of despair) is a critical public health crisis. Income inequality and social mobility have been separately associated with all-cause mortality; however, no studies have examined their interaction with these preventable deaths. To assess the interaction between income inequality and social mobility with deaths of despair among working-age Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White populations. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER (Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) database on county-level deaths of despair from 2000 to 2019 across racial and ethnic groups. Statistical analysis was performed from January 8 to May 20, 2023. The primary exposure of interest was county-level income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient. Another exposure was race- and ethnicity-specific absolute social mobility. Tertiles for the Gini coefficient and social mobility were created to evaluate the dose-response association. The main outcomes were adjusted risk ratios (RRs) of deaths from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholic liver disease. The interaction between income inequality and social mobility was formally tested on both the additive and multiplicative scales. The sample included 788 counties for Hispanic populations, 1050 counties for non-Hispanic Black populations, and 2942 counties for non-Hispanic White populations. Over the study period, 152 350, 149 589, and 1 250 156 deaths of despair were recorded for working-age Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White populations, respectively. Compared with the reference group (counties with low income inequality and high social mobility), counties with greater income inequality (high inequality: RR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.24-1.29] for Hispanic populations; RR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.15-1.20] for non-Hispanic Black populations; and RR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.21-1.23] for non-Hispanic White populations) or less social mobility (low mobility: RR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.76-1.82] for Hispanic populations; RR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.61-1.67] for non-Hispanic Black populations; and RR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.38-1.39] for non-Hispanic White populations) had higher RRs for deaths of despair. In counties with high income inequality and low social mobility, positive interactions were observed on the additive scale for Hispanic populations (relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI], 0.27 [95% CI, 0.17-0.37]), non-Hispanic Black populations (RERI, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.30-0.42]), and non-Hispanic White populations (RERI, 0.10 [95% CI, 0.09-0.12]). In contrast, positive interactions on the multiplicative scale were found only for non-Hispanic Black populations (ratio of RRs, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.18-1.31]) and non-Hispanic White populations (ratio of RRs, 1.03 [95% CI, 1.02-1.05]), but not for Hispanic populations (ratio of RRs, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.93-1.04]). In the sensitivity analyses using continuous Gini coefficient and social mobility, a positive interaction was observed between higher income inequality and lower social mobility with deaths of despair on both the additive and multiplicative scales for all 3 racial and ethnic groups. This cross-sectional study found that the joint exposure of unequal income distribution and lack of social mobility was associated with additional risks for deaths of despair, suggesting that addressing the underlying social and economic conditions is crucial in responding to the epidemic of deaths of despair.

Agrotourism and fast urbanisation: The double pressure of development on peri‐urban agriculture in Hôi An, a small city of central Vietnam

Agrotourism in Vietnam has been identified as one of the strategies used to achieve green growth and countryside modernisation, and it is often included as part of the national and local agenda. In this paper, we examine agrotourism in a village in the periphery of Hội An city (an international tourism hub in central Vietnam) to question tourism's interaction with ongoing development processes. More specifically, we aim to understand the impact of fast peri‐urbanisation on agrotourism and the impacts of agrotourism on people's daily lives, specifically when it comes to physical changes in their living environment, tensions in their social life and their concerns about the future. Our analysis is supported with data generated from interviews with farmers, local officials, tourism workers and tourists. We find that agrotourism products lacked authenticity and farming was not of great interest for tourists, yet the state's investment in the village tended to favour spaces and infrastructure that could attract more tourists and generate profit, to the detriment of cultural infrastructure. Land speculation and an unequal distribution of income were the main tensions in the village along with farmers' concerns about their rural heritage, income diversification and environmental quality. As such, agrotourism in the village has been driven by rapid urbanisation and mass tourism, creating a competition between a consumption activity and a productive activity. Those are important parameters that future policymakers need to take into consideration in order to sustain the city's food production and tourism.

Intersectionality as a theoretical framework for researching health inequities in chronic pain.

Chronic pain is experienced unequally by different population groups; we outline examples from the pain literature of inequities related to gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic and migration status. Health inequities are systematic, avoidable and unfair differences in health outcomes between groups of people, with the fundamental 'causes of causes' recognised as unequal distribution of income, power and wealth. Intersectionality can add further theory to health inequities literature; collective social identities including class/socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, migration status, age, sexuality and disabled status intersect in multiple interconnected systems of power leading to differing experiences of privilege and oppression which can be understood as axes of health inequities. The process of knowledge creation in pain research is shaped by these interconnected systems of power, and may perpetuate inequities in pain care as it is largely based on majority white, middle class, Eurocentric populations. Intersectionality can inform research epistemology (ways of knowing), priorities, methodology and methods. We give examples from the literature where intersectionality has informed a justice oriented approach across different research methods and we offer suggestions for further development. The use of a reductionist frame can force unachievable objectivity on to complex health concepts, and we note increasing realisation in the field of the need to understand the individuals within their social world, and recognise the fluid and contextual nature of this.