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A dissimilarity index of multidimensional inequality of opportunity

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  • Gaston Yalonetzky

Abstract

A recent literature on inequality of opportunity offers quantitative tools for comparisons and measurement based on stochastic dominance criteria and traditional inequality indices. In this paper I suggest an additional way of assessing inequality of opportunity with two indices of dissimilarity across distributions. The indices are based on a traditional homogeneity test of multinomial distributions and are similar to the square coefficient of variation (Reardon and Firebaugh, Sociol Method 32:33–67, 2002 ). Their properties are studied, as well as their usefulness and limitations in applications when both circumstances and advantages/outcomes are multidimensional. An empirical application measures changes in inequality of opportunity from an old to a young cohort in Peru. The importance of assessing the sensitivity of the results to group definitions and group proportions is highlighted. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Gaston Yalonetzky, 2012. "A dissimilarity index of multidimensional inequality of opportunity," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 10(3), pages 343-373, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jecinq:v:10:y:2012:i:3:p:343-373
    DOI: 10.1007/s10888-010-9162-z
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    Cited by:

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    2. Shyamkumar Sriram & Lubna Naz, 2025. "Inequality of opportunity in child nutrition in Pakistan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(2), pages 1-19, February.
    3. Denis Bouyssou & Thierry Marchant & Marc Pirlot, 2021. "Axiomatic characterization of the χ 2 dissimilarity measure," Working Papers hal-03463741, HAL.
    4. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Yalonetzky, Gaston, 2012. "Inequality of Educational Opportunity in India: Changes Over Time and Across States," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1151-1163.
    5. Carmen Herrero & Antonio Villar, 2013. "On the Comparison of Group Performance with Categorical Data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-7, December.
    6. José María Rentería, 2023. "Inequality of Educational Opportunity and Time-Varying Circumstances: Longitudinal Evidence from Peru," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(2), pages 258-278, February.
    7. Iturra, Victor & Gallardo, Mauricio, 2022. "Schools, circumstances and inequality of opportunities in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    8. Fabio Waltenberg & Marcia De Carvalho & Luis Fernando Gamboa, 2016. "Measuring Inequality Of Opportunity In Education By Combining Information On Coverage And Achievement In Pisa," Anais do XLII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 42nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 218, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    9. Carmen Herrero & Antonio Villar, 2018. "The Balanced Worth: A Procedure to Evaluate Performance in Terms of Ordered Attributes," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 1279-1300, December.
    10. Jaya Krishnakumar & Ricardo Nogales, 2020. "Public Policies and Equality of Opportunity for Wellbeing in Multiple Dimensions: A Theoretical Discussion and Evidence from Bolivia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 297-325, May.
    11. Monserrat Serio, 2021. "Desempeño educativo de los estudiantes en Argentina: Una mirada a la desigualdad de oportunidades del sistema educativo a partir de su medición y descomposición," Working Papers 86, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    12. Johanna Fajardo-Gonzalez, 2016. "Inequality of opportunity in adult health in Colombia," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 14(4), pages 395-416, December.
    13. Nicholas Rohde & Ross Guest, 2018. "Multidimensional Inequality Across Three Developed Countries," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 64(3), pages 576-591, September.
    14. Mkupete Jaah Mkupete & Dieter Von Fintel & Ronelle Burger, 2022. "Decomposing inequality of opportunity in child health in Tanzania: The role of access to water and sanitation," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(11), pages 2465-2480, November.
    15. Anis Saidi & Mekki Hamdaoui & Wajdi Moussa, 2021. "Assessing Policy Effectiveness in Reducing Inequality of Opportunity in Access to Public Services and Education Among Tunisian Children," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(3), pages 993-1018, September.
    16. Anis Ochi & Yosra Saidi, 2022. "Do Tunisian Children Have an Equal Chance to Access to School 8 Years After Revolution?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 2007-2029, September.
    17. Shreshti Rawat, 2023. "Inequality of Opportunity in Changing Access to Employment in India: A Panel Study," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 66(3), pages 739-764, September.

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