9,928 research outputs found
Endogenous Reversals of Fortune
The phenomenon of systemic changes in the fortunes of social groups is hard to reconcile with traditional macroeconomic models of intergenerational mobility. This paper, therefore, proposes a theory of endogenous reversal of fortune, whereby instilling strict work norms is an instrument to address moral hazard in poor families more so than in rich families, which is consistent with empirical regularities pertaining to work attitudes. The mechanism implies that hard-working children of the poor may eventually overtake leisure-prone children of the rich. This evolution, in particular, of work norms, is endogenously determined and is, therefore a better explanation of the rise and the fall of population groups than existing theories that rely on exogenous ability variations.work norms, intergenerational income mobility
Intergenerational mobility : measurement and the role of borrowing constraints and inherited tastes
In this paper, I present some popular measures of mobility in economic outcomes within a family across generations. I also discuss two of the most important factors preventing intergenerational mobility: existence of financially constrained individuals and transmission of tastes from parents to children. Finally, I show how these two factors could give raise to dramatic reversals of fortune affecting successive generations of the same dynasty. I will cast the results of the different models I use in terms of the previous measures of intergenerational mobilit
Optimism and commitment: An elementary theory of bargaining and war
We propose an elementary theory of wars fought by fully rational contenders. Two parties play a Markov game that combines stages of bargaining with stages where one side has the ability to impose surrender on the other. Under uncertainty and incomplete information, in the unique equilibrium of the game, long confrontations occur: war arises when reality disappoints initial (rational) optimism, and it persist longer when both agents are optimists but reality proves both wrong. Bargaining proposals that are rejected initially might eventually be accepted after several periods of confrontation. We provide an explicit computation of the equilibrium, evaluating the probability of war, and its expected losses as a function of i) the costs of confrontation, ii) the asymmetry of the split imposed under surrender, and iii) the strengths of contenders at attack and defense. Changes in these parameters display non-monotonic effects.Conflict, Income redistribution, Natives, Immigrants.
The MetaCapitalism Cult.
Quâil sâagisse de notre vie professionnelle ou de notre vie personnelle, la promesse dâimmortalitĂ© exerce le mĂȘme pouvoir de sĂ©duction. La promesse de salut dĂ©livrĂ©e Ă lâentreprise ne diffĂšre guĂšre de la promesse faite aux ĂȘtres humains. Cet idĂ©al de salut, qui a exercĂ© sa fascination sur toutes les Ă©poques, les religions ont promis de le rĂ©aliser. Les entreprises de conseil sâinscrivent dans la mĂȘme logique, dans la mesure oĂč elles constituent, pour les entreprises, lâĂ©quivalent contemporain dâune expĂ©rience religieuse. Les prophĂštes du conseil sâemploient Ă gĂ©nĂ©rer ce genre de sentiments en utilisant tout un vocabulaire symbolique tel que « reconfiguration des processus », « meilleures pratiques », etc, dans un rituel baptisĂ© MĂ©taCapitalisme, impliquant une communautĂ© de croyants, en lâoccurrence leurs clients. Ce rituel, par le biais du Culte du conseil, a des consĂ©quences qui vont bien au-delĂ des seules entreprises clientes et affectent de maniĂšre importante de nombreux groupes de personnes et dâinstitutions dans notre sociĂ©tĂ© devenue globale. Ce constat justifie de procĂ©der Ă un examen critique de ses mĂ©rites. Notre recherche explore la performance du MĂ©taCapitalisme, un terme forgĂ© par le gĂ©ant du conseil, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), pour dĂ©crire sa vision de la « nouvelle Ă©conomie », qui traite de lâutilisation des e-markets, des Ă©changes en ligne et des communautĂ©s dâaffaires en rĂ©seau, et a eu pour effet de dĂ©multiplier lâimpact des dĂ©veloppements technologiques et des principales amĂ©liorations de la vie des affaires issues des annĂ©es 1990. Le MĂ©taCapitalisme peut ĂȘtre apprĂ©hendĂ© en analysant la conversion des leaders du MĂ©taCapitalisme au modĂšle prĂŽnĂ©. Notre Ă©tude, en appliquant des techniques de rĂ©gression Ă un certain nombre dâindicateurs clĂ©s, identifie les tendances relatives Ă la performance de ces leaders et les compare avec les tendances observĂ©es pour les 100 premiĂšres entreprises du groupe Fortune. Il en ressort que les entreprises du MĂ©taCapitalisme ont Ă©tĂ© incapables de maintenir la transformation apparemment brillante quâelles avaient opĂ©rĂ©e en 1999 et que sur de nombreux points, les tendances prĂ©sentent des retournements imprĂ©vus par rapport au maintien de la structure idĂ©ale du MĂ©taCapitalisme. Une Ă©valuation critique de ces observations est effectuĂ©e de maniĂšre Ă valider la possibilitĂ© de gĂ©nĂ©ralisation du modĂšle, afin dâĂȘtre en mesure dâĂ©viter une expĂ©rimentation sociale continue et prĂ©judiciable. En conclusion, la stratĂ©gie du MĂ©taCapitalisme prĂ©sente dâindĂ©niables similitudes avec les cultes religieux, ce qui amĂšne Ă la question suivante : le MĂ©taCapitalisme aura-t-il le mĂȘme destin que la plupart de ces cultes, Ă savoir, le dĂ©senchantement est liĂ© Ă des espĂ©rances déçues ?
Truth Contests and Talking Corpses
In diverse fictions from the second century Roman Empire, two parties with competing claims to truth hold a formal contest in a public place where, after a series of abrupt reversals, the issue is finally decided by the evidence of a dead, mutilated, or resurrected body. We can ask these corpses to tell us about the ways Roman society constructed truth. Furthermore, can we learn from the abrupt reversals in these narratives anything about the way Romans experienced shifts in truth-paradigms in âreal lifeâ? (This is, of course, a question of paramount importance for appreciating the religious change propelled by Christianity)
How robust is the evidence of an emerging or increasing female excess in physical morbidity between childhood and adolescence? Results of a systematic literature review and meta-analyses
For asthma and psychological morbidity, it is well established that higher prevalence among males in childhood is replaced by higher prevalence among females by adolescence. This review investigates whether there is evidence for a similar emerging female âexcessâ in relation to a broad range of physical morbidity measures. Establishing whether this pattern is generalised or health outcome-specific will further understandings of the aetiology of gender differences in health. Databases (Medline; Embase; CINAHL; PsycINFO; ERIC) were searched for English language studies (published 1992â2010) presenting physical morbidity prevalence data for males and females, for at least two age-bands within the age-range 4â17 years. A three-stage screening process (initial sifting; detailed inspection; extraction of full papers), was followed by study quality appraisals. Of 11 245 identified studies, 41 met the inclusion criteria. Most (n = 31) presented self-report survey data (five longitudinal, 26 cross-sectional); 10 presented routinely collected data (GP/hospital statistics). Extracted data, supplemented by additional data obtained from authors of the included studies, were used to calculate odds ratios of a female excess, or female:male incident rate ratios as appropriate. To test whether these changed with age, the values were logged and regressed on age in random effects meta-regressions. These showed strongest evidence of an emerging/increasing female excess for self-reported measures of headache, abdominal pain, tiredness, migraine and self-assessed health. Type 1 diabetes and epilepsy, based on routinely collected data, did not show a significant emerging/increasing female excess. For most physical morbidity measures reviewed, the evidence broadly points towards an emerging/increasing female excess during the transition to adolescence, although results varied by morbidity measure and study design, and suggest that this may occur at a younger age than previously thought
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