What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China

In recent years there has been much discussion of the difference between inequality and polarisation. The vast literature on inequality is held to miss out key features of distributional change, which are better described as changes in polarisation. Axioms have been proposed which capture some of th...

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Autores principales: Zhang, Xiaobo, Kanbur, Ravi
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Informa UK Limited 2001
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156769
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author Zhang, Xiaobo
Kanbur, Ravi
author_browse Kanbur, Ravi
Zhang, Xiaobo
author_facet Zhang, Xiaobo
Kanbur, Ravi
author_sort Zhang, Xiaobo
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In recent years there has been much discussion of the difference between inequality and polarisation. The vast literature on inequality is held to miss out key features of distributional change, which are better described as changes in polarisation. Axioms have been proposed which capture some of these differences, and measures of polarisation, as distinct from inequality, have been suggested. The theoretical distinctions proposed in this literature are indeed interesting. But do the newly proposed measures of polarisation give different results in comparing societies over time? We address these questions for China, where dramatic increases in inequality and polarisation have been much discussed in the literature. We find that, contrary to theoretical expectation, the new measures of polarisation do not generate very different results from the standard measures of inequality. The article ends by considering a different approach to polarisation which might better conform to the policy concerns expressed in the specific context of China. -- Authors' Abstract
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publishDate 2001
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spelling CGSpace1567692024-11-14T11:37:54Z What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China Zhang, Xiaobo Kanbur, Ravi china equality agriculture In recent years there has been much discussion of the difference between inequality and polarisation. The vast literature on inequality is held to miss out key features of distributional change, which are better described as changes in polarisation. Axioms have been proposed which capture some of these differences, and measures of polarisation, as distinct from inequality, have been suggested. The theoretical distinctions proposed in this literature are indeed interesting. But do the newly proposed measures of polarisation give different results in comparing societies over time? We address these questions for China, where dramatic increases in inequality and polarisation have been much discussed in the literature. We find that, contrary to theoretical expectation, the new measures of polarisation do not generate very different results from the standard measures of inequality. The article ends by considering a different approach to polarisation which might better conform to the policy concerns expressed in the specific context of China. -- Authors' Abstract 2001-02 2024-10-24T12:45:25Z 2024-10-24T12:45:25Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156769 en Limited Access Informa UK Limited Zhang, Xiaobo; Kanbur, Ravi. 2001. What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China. Journal of Development Studies 37(3): 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220380412331321981
spellingShingle china
equality
agriculture
Zhang, Xiaobo
Kanbur, Ravi
What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China
title What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China
title_full What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China
title_fullStr What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China
title_full_unstemmed What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China
title_short What difference do polarisation measures make? an application to China
title_sort what difference do polarisation measures make an application to china
topic china
equality
agriculture
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156769
work_keys_str_mv AT zhangxiaobo whatdifferencedopolarisationmeasuresmakeanapplicationtochina
AT kanburravi whatdifferencedopolarisationmeasuresmakeanapplicationtochina