The Dynamics of Poverty in Bolivia

Alejandro F. Mercado and Jorge G. M. Leitón Quiroga
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Alejandro F. Mercado: IISEC, Universidad Católica Boliviana
Jorge G. M. Leitón Quiroga: IISEC, Universidad Católica Boliviana

No 2/2009, Documentos de trabajo from Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana

Abstract: The research aims to the understanding of the main factors that explain the dynamics of poverty in Bolivia. A main working hypothesis is that poverty is strongly linked to low social mobility levels. Social mobility can be defined as the equality of opportunities, or in other words, the probability that somebody can reach a better social position independently of his position of origin. We rely in the concept that low social mobility generates a vicious poverty circle in which households that were poor yesterday, will see that their children are poor today, and with high probability, their children’s children will be poor tomorrow. Indeed, our research hypothesis is that the dynamics of the phenomenon (the vicious circle) is explained fundamentally by two self reinforcing factors – ethnic and gender discrimination; which in turn lower the social mobility levels in a dynamic framework. This is proved partially along this research, especially for the subsets of indigenous women. Instituto de Investigaciones Socio - Económicas; IISEC

Keywords: The Dynamics of Poverty; Bolivia; Instituto de Investigaciones Socio - Económicas; IISEC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 22 pages
Date: 2009-03-01
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:iisecd:2009_002

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