Mark Gradstein on soft skills, parenting styles, and persistent income inequality

Mark Gradstein will present at the WIDER Seminar Series on 11 May 2022.

Soft skills, parenting styles, and persistent income inequality

Abstract

Persistence of income inequality is accounted for by incorporating in the process of human capital formation, the main engine of growth, soft skills, instilled in children by their parents. The mental cost associated with this process affects – and is affected by – income growth, implying a bidirectional relationship that leads to a propagation mechanism. Consequently, the model economy displays multiple steady states, convergence to which depends on the initial distribution of soft skills. An extension of the model to encompass parenting styles is presented and its relation to persistent income inequality explored.

About the Speaker

Mark Gradstein is the Sumner T. White Professor at the Economics Department, Ben Gurion University, where he served twice as the department chair.  Mark is also affiliated with the CEPR, CESifo, and IZA.  Previous research and teaching visiting engagements include the universities of Brown, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Toronto, and Virginia; consulting relationships have included the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank. His research and teaching interests are in political economy, development and education economics.

WIDER Seminar Series

The WIDER Seminar Series showcases the latest research on key topics in development economics. It provides a forum for for visiting scholars, UNU-WIDER researchers, external researchers, policymakers and industry specialists to present their research.

In addition to providing a forum for both academic debate and training, the series presents an opportunity for policymakers and others interested in development to learn about the latest research methods and findings.

The WIDER Seminar Series takes place on Wednesdays. All those interested are invited to register and attend via Zoom.