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Evaluating ordinal inequalities between groups

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  • Tugce Cuhadaroglu

    (University of St. Andrews, Castlecliffe, The Scores)

Abstract

We explore the inequality measurement of a discrete ordinal variable between social groups. We provide an axiomatic characterization for the Net Difference Index (Lieberson: Sociol. Methodol. 7, 276–291 1976), that makes use of rank-domination to evaluate the discrepancy between the distributions of two social groups over ordered categories. Adapting well-known principles of cardinal inequality measurement to the between-group ordinal inequality setting, we show that the Net Difference Index mimics the Gini Index in terms of its relationship to the Lorenz curve, in our setting.

Suggested Citation

  • Tugce Cuhadaroglu, 2023. "Evaluating ordinal inequalities between groups," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 21(1), pages 219-231, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecin:v:21:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10888-022-09547-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10888-022-09547-5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Net difference index; Between-group inequality; Ordinal inequality; Inequality measurement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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