Theoretical-Practical Training Course on Distributive Analysis in Latin America

The content of the course – carried out in Spanish – is developed over 5 days, with 6 hours of class each day (3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon). Each day includes a theoretical presentation for each topic followed by the discussion and implementation of empirical examples. In addition, an optative intensive one-day training on the basic use of Stata software is offered – at no additional cost.

The course will be taught at the Facultad de Ciencias Económicas of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata from May 28 to June 1, 2018. Stata’s basic training will be held on May 26, morning and afternoon.

Day 1: Distribution: concepts, tools and data sources.

• Introduction to the course.
• Relevance of distributive issues.
• Panorama on inequality and poverty in Latin America.
• Sources of information: household surveys, administrative records, National Accounts.
• Household surveys in Latin America: typology and characteristics.
• Working with household surveys: summary measures and graphical tools.
• Variables for the distributive analysis: income and consumption; labor and non-labor income.
• The construction of income and household consumption based on household surveys.
• Practical problems: adjustment by demographic factors, price adjustments, non-response and underreporting.
• Implementation in Stata.

Day 2: Poverty

• Dimensions of poverty: monetary, multidimensional and subjective.
• National and international poverty lines.
• Poverty measures: incidence rate, poverty gap, FGT, Sen, Watts.
• Decompositions of the poverty level
• Poverty profiles.
• Multidimensional Poverty: identification criteria and indicators.
• Subjective poverty; strengths and limitations.
• Empirical evidence for Latin America and the world.
• Implementation in Stata.

Day 3: Inequality

• Conceptions of equity. Equity as equality of results and opportunities. Sen approach.
• Measurement of inequality: axioms and indicators.
• Robustness and statistical significance.
• Inequality of opportunities: approaches and limitations.
• Polarization: by groups and income. Indicators.
• Aggregate welfare. Pen and generalized Lorenz curves. Robustness.
• Empirical evidence for Latin America and the world.
• Implementation in Stata.

Day 4: Incidencia distributiva

• La evaluación ideal, limitaciones y desafíos.
• Benefit-incidence analysis: metodología y limitaciones.
• Valorización de las transferencias.
• Incidencia marginal y ex-ante.
• Descomposiciones de los resultados de incidencia.
• Ajustes de comportamiento y evaluación de impacto.
• Característica distributiva y focalización.
• Medidas de progresividad local y global y de impacto redistributivo.
• Medidas e impacto sobre la pobreza.
• Ejemplos y aplicaciones a América Latina.
• Implementaciones en Stata.

Day 5: Análisis de cambios distributivos

• La desigualdad en la historia (y la prehistoria). Desigualdad en América Latina colonial.
• Desigualdad y mercados de trabajo: Determinantes de los diferenciales por formación.
• Factores de oferta y de demanda.
• Cambio tecnológico y apertura comercial.
• Las políticas laborales: salario mínimo, sindicatos.
• La relevancia del capital. Tasa de retorno y crecimiento. Distribución funcional.
• Los programas de transferencias de ingreso.
• Los factores demográficos. Fecundidad, bono demográfico, migraciones.
• Evidencia empírica para América Latina y el mundo.
• Implementación en Stata.

The use of the software Stata will cover, throughout the course, the topics listed below (*).

• Introduction: Interface (windows), and command syntax.
• The database: import, export, open, save, combine, edit, describe, transform, variables (create, replace, rename, sort, delete, functions, logical conditions).
• Descriptive analysis: basic statistics, tabulation of data, correlations, graphs, use of weights or expansion factors.
• Programming 1: use of do and log files, local and global macros, loops and conditions, and scalars and matrices.
• Regression analysis: estimation by ordinary least squares, hypothesis test, and exporting the results.
• Programming 2: program creation, passage of arguments: args and syntax statements, and program flow control (loops and if-then-else conditions).

(*) The first three subjects will be covered, for the most part, during the optional course day on Stata, which is held on the May 26. In particular, if you understand the contents of this file, you do not need to attend on Saturday.

The course will be taught by Leonardo Gasparini, Guillermo Cruces and Martín Cicowiez, all professors and researchers from CEDLAS of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata(UNLP). In addition, during the practical sessions, there will be one assistant for every four students. Here you can consult a list of courses given by CEDLAS members.

The course will be structured according to the book:

Gasparini, L., M. Cicowiez & W. Sosa Escudero, Pobreza y Desigualdad en América Latina. Conceptos, herramientas y aplicaciones. Editorial Temas, 2013. Download the book (in Spanish) in pdf here

This basic reference will be complemented by other readings.

Atkinson, A. (2015). Inequality: what can be done? Harvard University Press.

Atkinson, A. & Bourguignon, F. (2015). Handbook of Income Distribution, vol 2. Elsevier Science B.V.

Cowell, F. (2000). Measuring inequality. LSE Handbooks in Economic Series, Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf.

Deaton, A. (1997). The analysis of household surveys. Microeconomic analysis for development policy. Washington D.C.: The World Bank.

Milanovic, B. (2016). Global inequality. Harvard University Press.

Piketty, T. (2015). The economics of inequality. Belknap Press.

Those interested in participating in the course must complete the registration form. The number of vacancies is limited to 20; therefore, a selection process will be carried out taking into account academic training, geographic diversity and work experience. Registration closes on March 30th, but early enrollment is suggested.

The course has a cost of US $ 1000, which includes all material in electronic and printed format and lunches during the week of the course. The cost of the course can be paid by credit card. Medical insurance is compulsory and the participants are responsible for contracting it.

CEDLAS offers a limited number of scholarships of up to 50% off the fee of the course. Applicants must submit a short CV (two pages maximum), a letter of motivation, and a reference letter to cursos@cedlas.org. Those who have registered in earlier editions of the course can send the same letters of motivation and reference. The selection process will give priority to analysts who develop their activities in the public sector, and researchers of public or private research centers. Scholarships will be awarded as the registration process progresses.

CEDLAS is based at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. La Plata is a university city with a very rich cultural life, and a high proportion of young people. The city has several tourist attractions of interest: the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Cathedral, and the Argentine Theater. The city is characterized by a planned layout, with streets, avenues, diagonals and tree-lined boulevards, in which the maximum distance to a park is 3 blocks. La Plata is located very close to the city of Buenos Aires: the center of that city is less than an hour’s journey, buses depart every 5 minutes from the La Plata Terminal.

• http://turismo.laplata.gov.ar/
• http://www.buenosaires.travel/informacion-general-2/

• Hotel Corregidor (****)
• Hotel del Sol (***)
• San Marco Hotel (***)
• Apart Via 51
• Hotel del Rey
• La Plata Hostel
• Frankville Hostel & Intercultural Club