Who cares about relative deprivation ? / Martin Ravallion, Michael Lokshin.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Ravallion, Martin.

Contributor:

World Bank.

Lokshin, Michael.

Series:

Policy research working papers ; 3782.

World Bank e-Library.

Policy research working paper ; 3782

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Deprivation (Psychology).

Externalities (Economics).

Poverty--Malawi.

Poverty.

Other Title:

Policy research working paper vol. 3782

Place of Publication:

[Washington, D.C. : World Bank, 2005]

System Details:

data file

Summary:

"Theories of relative deprivation predict negative welfare effects when friends and neighbors become better-off. Other theories point to likely positive benefits. The authors encompass both views within a single model, which motivates their tests using a survey for Malawi that collected data on satisfaction with life, own economic welfare, and the perceived welfare of friends and neighbors. Their methods help address likely biases in past tests found in the literature. In marked contrast to research for industrial countries, the authors find that relative deprivation is generally not a concern for most of their sample, although it does appear to matter to the comparatively well off. Their results provide a welfarist explanation for the priority given to absolute poverty in poor countries. The pattern of externalities also suggests that there will be too much poverty and inequality in this economy, even judged solely from the point of view of aggregate efficiency. "--World Bank web site.

Notes:

Title from PDF file as viewed on 12/2/2005.

Includes bibliographical references.

Publisher Number:

10.1596/1813-9450-3782