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Down and Out or Up and In? Polarization-Based Measures of the Middle Class for Latin America

Author

Listed:
  • Guillermo Cruces

    (Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales (CEDLAS) - FCE - UNLP, CONICET, e IZA)

  • Luis Felipe López Calva

    (The World Bank)

  • Diego Battistón

    (Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales (CEDLAS) - FCE - UNLP, y CONICET)

Abstract

This document presents a systematic review of empirical approaches to the identification and measurement of the middle class as the concept is used in the applied literature. It then presents an arguably less arbitrary definition of the middle class which is based on sound principles of distributional analysis and derived from income polarization measures. The document illustrates the differences between the existing approaches and the proposed methodology with a comparative analysis of the extent and evolution of the middle classes since the early 1990s in six Latin American countries. The polarization-based measurements of the middle class are shown to exhibit a greater degree of homogeneity in terms of some key socioeconomic characteristics than other measures employed in the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillermo Cruces & Luis Felipe López Calva & Diego Battistón, 2011. "Down and Out or Up and In? Polarization-Based Measures of the Middle Class for Latin America," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0113, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    • Handle: RePEc:dls:wpaper:0113
    as

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    File URL: http://cedlas.econo.unlp.edu.ar/archivos_upload/doc_cedlas113.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. ¿No es la hora de la clase media?
      by Cecilia Rossel in Razones y personas: repensando Uruguay on 2012-11-29 21:03:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Lopez-Calva Luis F. & Rigolini Jamele & Torche Florencia, 2016. "Is there such thing as middle class values? Class differences, values and political orientations in Latin America," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 7(2), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Sebastien Carrere & Clement Mathieu & Francois Combarnous & Gabriel Kessker & Eric Rougier & Ariel Wilkis, 2022. "The middle class in Argentina: Dynamics, characteristics and implications for public policies," Post-Print hal-03773031, HAL.
    3. Lina Martínez & John Rennie Short & Maria Isabel Zafra, 2019. "A Fragile Hold on Consumption: Consumption and the New Middle Class in Colombia," Review of European Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(3), pages 1-73, December.
    4. Chiara Assunta Ricci, 2016. "Perceived Social Position and Income Inequality: Do They Move Together? Evidence from Europe and the United States," LIS Working papers 667, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    5. Gómez León, María, 2015. "The rise of the middle class : Brazil (1839-1950)," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp15-09, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    6. Ricci, Chiara Assunta & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2021. "The role of Great Recession on income polarization by population groups," GLO Discussion Paper Series 766, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    middle class; distribution; polarization; Latin America;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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