Download The epistemology of inequality in demography

The epistemology of inequality in
demography
Prague, Czech Republic
12th February, 2016
7th Conference of “Young Demographers”
Jorge González Gutiérrez
I'm going to focus on:
●
Demographic quantitative research...
●
Socioeconomic inequality...
●
Research in Latin America.
Relevant Questions:
The main research question of this presentation is “How does
demography has been studying inequality since the last decades
of the twentieth century in Mexico and Latin America (LA)?”
●
●
Which theoretical approaches have been used by demographers
during this years in the study of inequality?
How is inequality measured in demography in LA?
Finally, transformations in the study of inequality could be
considered only as trends? Or are the result of something else?
A) WHY TALK ABOUT INEQUALITY
IN LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH?
Latin America: is not the poorest but is the most
unequal region (Kliksberg, 2005; Kerbo, 2012;
Cimadamore et al., 2013; NU.CEPAL, 2013,...).
Figure 1: Gini coefficient in certain countries in Latin America
Country
Year
Gini coeff.
Brazil
(2011)
53.1
Guatemala
(2011)
52.4
Colombia
(2011)
54.2
Chile
(2011)
50.8
Mexico
(2012)
48.1
Argentina
(2011)
43.6
Czech Republic
(2011)
26.4
Denmark
(2011)
29.5
Austria
(2011)
30.8
Germany
(2011)
30.1
Belgium
(2011)
28.4
SOURCE: World Bank
Figure 2: Gini coefficient by decade
1970s
1980s
1990s
Average
Region
Levels
Latin America and the
Caribbean
48.4
50.8
52.2
50.5
Asia
40.2
40.4
41.2
40.6
OCDE
32.3
32.5
34.2
33
East Europe
28.3
29.3
32.8
30.1
Changes
70s-80s
80s-90s
70s-90s
Latin America and the
Caribbean
2.4
1.3
3.7
Asia
0.2
0.8
1.1
OCDE
0.2
1.7
1.9
1
3.5
4.5
East Europe
SOURCE: Kliksberg (2005)
The context and characteristics of
this increasing inequality:
Context:
World economic
transformations have
lead to a “destruction of
work” (Cimadamore et
al., 2014): I) labor
flexibility; II) lost of labor
rights; III) informal work;
IV) loss of purchasing
power, among others
(Mancini, 2015; Canales,
2003).
Inequality features:
●
●
Besides the increasing
inequality it is an old topic
in this region--------> a
persistent phenomenon
(Gootenberg, 2004).
The social manifestation
of inequality is all around
us-------->an invasive
phenomenon (Kliksberg,
2005).
The demography of inequality?
●
●
According to Canales (2003) “...globalization
requires us to be open to new ways of
understanding” (Canales, 2003, 55).
Due to the transformations in the labor market it
is necessary a new demography in LA:
something that he called “The demography of
inequality”.
B) HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND
THE CHANGES IN THE STUDY OF
INEQUALITY IN DEMOGRAPHY?
A basic definition of epistemology...
●
●
●
For Bunge (2006): “Epistemology, or philosophy of science, is
the branch of philosophy that study scientific research
and its product, scientific knowledge...investigates the very
nature of scientific and technological knowledge, and
deals with the basic theoretical issues” (Bunge, 2006, 21);
or according to Hessen (2013) epistemology is “the
explanation and interpretation of human knowledge”
(Hessen. 2013, 15).
A simpler definition is that epistemology is the study of the
theoretical and methodological assumptions from which
scientific knowledge is generated.
A simple model of knowledge
Subject
Demographic
community
Historical
and social
context
Object
Inequality
KNOWLEDGE
A simple model of knowledge
The classical model: the object is
imposed to (determines) the
subject which is passive and does
not have any prejudice or
presupposition: the end of the
researcher should be to achieve
the “peaceful neutrality” (Lowy,
1973).
Subject
Historical
and social
context
Object
KNOWLEDGE
A simple model of knowledge
The classical model: the object is
imposed to (determines) the
subject which is passive and does
not have any prejudice or
presupposition: the end of the
researcher should be to achieve
the “peaceful neutrality” (Lowy,
1973).
Subject
Historical
and social
context
Object
The critical model: the subject is
an active part of knowledge, the
object is “gradually apprehended
and reproduced” by the subject
(Larroyo, 2013; Schaff, 1974).
KNOWLEDGE
A simple model of knowledge
The classical model: the object is
imposed to (determines) the
subject which is passive and does
not have any prejudice or
presupposition: the end of the
researcher should be to achieve
the “peaceful neutrality” (Lowy,
1973).
Subject
Historical
and social
context
Object
The critical model: the subject is
an active part of knowledge, the
object is “gradually apprehended
and reproduced” by subject
(Larroyo, 2013; Schaff, 1974).
KNOWLEDGE
The researcher
takes part in
society (Goldman,
1972).
1. Scientific truth
is valid only for
those with a
common
conceptual
framework and
access to the same
information (Villoro,
2009)
2. The subject
embodies a world
of values,...
All social science
is always made
from and with
some ideology
(Sánchez, 1976).
C) HOW DEMOGRAPHERS HAVE
BEEN STUDYING INEQUALITY?
Inequality in demography:
Two types of relationship:
I. Measuring the impact of size, structure, and
distribution of population on income inequality
(Benoit, 2013).
II.Differentiating and explaining demographic
phenomena according to a social class or a
social stratum. This is the case of the study of
mortality and fertility.
I focus my attention on the second one.
Periods of demographic research on
inequality.
Note: Every column is an academic paper: author (white), concept to study inequality (red), and
demographic phenomenon (white).
STAGE A
●
●
●
The concept of social group is
based on the marxist concept
of social class.
Class is a certain position in the
social relations of production,
defined by its role in the social
organization of work (Bronfman
y Tuiran, 1986).
There is an intention to build a
theoretical framework to
understand the link between
social inequality and
demographic phenomena.
Figure 3: Probability of dying in the first year of
life by social class, Mexico, 1977
Social class
Probability by
1000
Non-agricultural classes
Petty burgeoise
33
Burgeoise
36.3
Traditional burgeoise
46.3
Proletariat
61.9
Free workforce self-employed
78
Agricultural classes
Wealthy and middle-level
peasants
Poor peasants
71.3
85
Agricultural workers
98.4
All
61.4
SOURCE: Bronfman y Tuirán, 1983.
STAGE B
In this period is common the estimation of
multidimensional indexes considering several types of
variables such as education...
● According to this perspective if we add all the social
characteristics (“i”) of a household (“j”) we obtain its
level of social status:
●
γ j = ∑ βi x i
(1)
Every unit of analysis with a set of social characteristics
(I) can have a level of social status (gamma).
● Studies from this period seems to be influenced by the
concept of “social status” of Tocqueville, for whom
“...there are individuals but not a defined social class”
(Nisbet, 2009, 25).
●
What is the reason for this turning
point?
Maybe the relation between object and subject has changed as
a consequences of two historical and social transformations
during these years (1990s):
i. Social and economic transformations: the total hegemony of a
particular economic system in the world; the consolidation of
neoliberalism in almost all countries of Latin America.
ii. Methodological transformations: the beginning of public data
available on the web, along with an increasing capacity to store
and process information.
1990s a
decade of
change for LA
demography?
D) DISCUSSION
Methodological changes:
●
●
●
It seems that technological changes have
transformed the way we do demography, and
might it will continue.
Do we have the theoretical work to interpret all
that information?
Taking into account that inequality is an invasive
phenomenon, perhaps it be useful to study each
of its elements more that synthesize it.
A matter of choice?
●
●
●
The transformations in the labor market are the basis
of a new debate in demography about the concept of
inequality (Canales, 2003).
New forms of differentiation are based on new forms
of social stratification of population that have
economic and demographic basis.
“...the reconfiguration of the population matter must be
oriented to problematize inequality and social
stratification that arise from globalization process.”
(Canales, 2003, 68)
Ideology in demography:
●
●
●
We could expect that there is no room for dogmatism in
any direction in social science. However, perhaps there
is a risk of “unintentional dogmatism” if we pass
over our theoretical and methological assumptions.
Does 1990s represents an ideological change in
demographic community talking about inequality? Is it
an analytical improvement according to recent
changes?
Is there any ideological intention to become invisible
socioeconomic inequality in social science?
References
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Behm, Hugo y E. Vargas (1984), “Guatemala: diferencias socioeconómicas de lamortalidad de los menores de dos años, 1960-1976”, CELADE. Serie A. No. 1044.
Benoit, Guerin (2013), “Demogray and inequality: how Europe's Changing Population will impact on Income Inequality”, RAND Europe.
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Thank you.