Workshops

Question 1

In ‘Mortality Inequality’, what is the aim of the paper? What is main issues involved in answering these?

Answer 1

1) How we measure and define inequality and mortality and what is the relationship between the 2.
2) Different groups of people have different conclusions and across countries there are different data sets.

Question 2

In ‘Mortality inequality’, is there a causal link between income inequality and inequality of mortality?

Answer 2

1) Not enough evidence to support the statement
2) Top level income should not increase mortality
3) Poverty is a causal link/not inequality
4) Many other variables complicate results

Question 3

In ‘Mortality inequality’ what method do authors take to measure the relationship?

Answer 3

1) Take population and rank the counties from richest to poorest
2) Then Split into groups that represent 5% of population (20 groups)
3) Look at the mortality rates within each bracket on a 3 year moving average

Question 4

In ‘Mortality inequality’, what are the issues in measuring inequality of mortality ?

Answer 4

1) Missing data for certain groups
2) Data groups change size
3) Methods behind data sets change
4) Location and education of people change

Question 5

In ‘Mortality inequality’, what are the findings?

Answer 5

1) Life expectancy is lower in poorer areas however the gains in life expectancy at birth has been equally distributed
2) Mortality of 50+ has declined more in rich areas
3) Mortality of children has dropped more in poorer areas
4) African-American mortality rates have fallen dramatically
5) Stagnation in mortality amongst white women 20-49

Question 6

In ‘Child Poverty’, what issues surround defining and measuring resources?

Answer 6

1) Many definitions for poverty and many definitions for resources
2) Availability of data
3) Income? Wealth? Expenditure?
4) Unit of analysis?
5) Equivalence scale?

Question 7

In ‘Child Poverty’, what issues surround defining and establishing poverty lines?

Answer 7

1) Basket content
2) Relative or Absolute ?
3) Updating PL
4) Consumption patterns very hard to track
5) Lack of understanding on societal changes

Question 8

In ‘Child Poverty’, what issues surround aggregation of number of poor into useful index?

Answer 8

1) all axioms must be met

2) More complicated measures don’t have as much public policy appeal

Question 9

In ‘Child Poverty’, what issue is most relevant to child poverty

Answer 9

Resources - equivalence scale and household vs individual

Question 10

In ‘Lives of the poor’, how do the authors say the poor live?

Answer 10

1) Large families
2) Around 60% of income on food - rest on festivals and alcohol/tobacco
3) Multiple occupations
4) Small plots of land from which they operate small enterprises

Question 11

In ‘Lives of the poor’, why don’t the poor specialize?

Answer 11

1) Must have multiple occupations to generate enough income
2) Risk Spreading
3) Short-term migration for agriculture
4) Lack of jobs that require specialization
5) Not enough capital to operate a single firm that will fill up their time

Question 12

In ‘Lives of the poor’, Why don’t the poor eat more?

Answer 12

1) Prefer to spend money on luxury goods that help fit in with societal norms
2) Doesn’t help them as much - not worth it
3) Self-control

Question 13

In ‘Lives of the poor’, why don’t the poor invest more in education

Answer 13

1) Free public schools - parents unaware of poor quality due to their lack of education
2) Lack of organisation
3 Lack of a vote to have any impact on quality of education

Question 14

In ‘Lives of the poor’, why don’t poor save more?

Answer 14

1) Temptation
2) No where safe to save - no access to bank account
3) Loan instead