Life chances and class: Estimating inequality of opportunity for children and adolescents in South Africa

Asmus Zoch

Development Southern Africa, 2015, vol. 32, issue 1, 57-75

Abstract: This paper aims to determine the degree to which class and socio-economic background influence a child's life chances and their future perspectives. We build on the growing number of papers that deal with the concept of inequality of opportunity. Comparing children from lower and upper middle-class households we find significant differences in terms of access to basic education, sanitation, clean water and mobility. Our multivariate analysis highlights the importance of class membership for schooling outcomes and labour market prospects of a child. The single most important variable to explain schooling outcomes is mother's education. While income seems to be less important for younger ages, it becomes increasingly important for the chances of reaching matric and obtaining tertiary education. The results are robust for various models and panel data.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2014.965386

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