Horizontal inequalities or inequalities that coincide with identity-based cleavages and ethnic polarization put developing countries at risk of economics and political instability. How can this be prevented and these disadvantages alleviated? Do anti-discrimination and affirmative action policies deliver on their stated goals? Do they correctly identify and target the individuals that need it the most? This project takes a fresh look at the state of discrimination, and by going beyond traditional means of detecting/estimating its extent, attempts to assess new methodologies and the contribution they can make.
This project has two main objectives in line with UNU-WIDER's long-standing expertise in the area of inequality:
As the experiences of countries such as India, South Africa, USA, Viet Nam and Brazil are unique, the project will seek to address these issues through a number of country-specific studies published as WIDER Working Papers and peer reviewed publications.
Keep an eye on the project website and WIDERAngle blog for updates on research from this project. These materials will be a valuable resource for policy makers and organizations looking for hard data regarding the varied and complex problems of discrimination.
We design a lab-in-the-field experiment involving naturally occurring groups operating in three South-African townships. We introduce an incentives-based mechanism named 'participatory incentives' consisting of monetary incentives that are awarded...
Anecdotal evidence suggests that involving beneficiaries in charity decision-making ensures better governance processes. This study provides the first experimental test of the effects of beneficiaries’ participation in the decision of how to spend a...
This study provides the first country-wide research evidence that an affirmative action policy may induce a backlash. I exploit the timing of the implementation of castebased electoral quotas across and within the states of India. The results show...
This study investigates the unexpected impact that enforcing birth control policies in China has upon the educational stratification between the Han majority, the policy target group, and ethnic minorities, a partially excluded group. Exploring...
We implement a lab-in-the-field experiment among childcare workers in Chandigarh, India, to evaluate discriminatory attitudes of the Hindu workers toward Muslim children. We use a third-party allocation game that controls for selfish payoff...
We evaluate a development programme with an important maternal health care component in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The region and its mostly indigenous people experienced violent conflict in the past and face a constant risk of...
This paper provides new insights on the labour market discrimination faced by indigenous Australians one of the most disadvantaged indigenous populations in developed countries. Combining two large, nationally representative datasets, we decompose...
We take school admission mechanisms to the lab to test whether the widely-used manipulable Immediate Acceptance mechanism disadvantages students of lower cognitive ability and whether this leads to ability segregation across schools. Results show...
Racial wage inequality and discrimination have pervaded South African society for centuries. Apartheid legislation cemented these disparities by...
Girls in India face many challenges. From the moment they are conceived, they are less likely to be born as compared to boys. This presence of...
The Center for American Progress estimates the costs of discrimination at US$64 billion per year, or roughly 2 million annually displaced American...
Inequalities between ethnic or racial groups, defined as horizontal inequalities, are pervasive and persistent. They persist due to cumulative and reinforcing inequalities arising from unequal access to different types of capital. Affirmative action...
This project is part of Disadvantaged groups and social mobility
Theme: 2014-18, Inclusion
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