Economic Inequality and Inclusive Societies (under construction)
Learning objectives and brief outline
Abstract
Economic inequality affects both individuals’ ability to social participation and economic development. However, it is not easy to measure economic inequality in a way that reflects well these links. This learning module introduces statistical concepts for measuring inequality of income and wealth across individuals such as the Gini coefficient. We study properties of different measures that render them more or less well suited for specific analysis. The concepts will also be brought to the data: we see limitations due to lack of access to appropriate data and measurement issues. However, we also discuss the application of measures for describing economic inequality in international comparisons and its development over time. You will acquire a toolkit for measuring economic inequality and knowledge on how to make well-considered use of it.
Learning objectives
Course participants who study the learning module will be able to
- They can explain different quantitative measures of inequality regarding income and wealth.
- They are aware of both conceptual and technical limitations of these.
- They can critically assess statements regarding economic inequality.
Contributor
Prof. Dr. Peter Winker, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, peter.winker@wirtschaft.uni-giessen.de
Field of expertise: Statistics and Econometrics