Status aspirations, wealth inequality, and economic growth
Status aspirations, wealth inequality, and economic growth
View/Date of Publication
02.2005Publisher
Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of BonnPublisher Location
BonnMetadata
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Citable Link (Handle URI) 
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/12307
Abstract
This paper argues that an increase in the inequality of wealth prompts a stronger quest for status that in turn fosters the accumulation of wealth. It proposes a measure for an individual’s want of social status. For a given level of a population’s wealth, the corresponding aggregate measure of want of social status is shown to be positively related to the Gini coefficient of wealth inequality. Hence the Gini coefficient and growth are positively correlated, holding the population’s wealth constant.
Subjects
Quest for status, Distribution of wealth, Economic growth
Classification (DDC)
300 Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie, Anthropologie 320 Politik 330 WirtschaftFirst Publication
https://www.zef.de/fileadmin/user_upload/zef_dp95.pdfPart of Series
ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy ; 95Stark, Oded: Status aspirations, wealth inequality, and economic growth. Bonn: Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, 2005. In: ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy, 95.
Online-Ausgabe in bonndoc: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/12307
Online-Ausgabe in bonndoc: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/12307
@techreport{handle:20.500.11811/12307,
author = {{Oded Stark}},
title = {Status aspirations, wealth inequality, and economic growth},
publisher = {Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn},
year = 2005,
month = feb,
series = {ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy},
volume = 95,
note = {This paper argues that an increase in the inequality of wealth prompts a stronger quest for status that in turn fosters the accumulation of wealth. It proposes a measure for an individual’s want of social status. For a given level of a population’s wealth, the corresponding aggregate measure of want of social status is shown to be positively related to the Gini coefficient of wealth inequality. Hence the Gini coefficient and growth are positively correlated, holding the population’s wealth constant.},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/12307}
}
author = {{Oded Stark}},
title = {Status aspirations, wealth inequality, and economic growth},
publisher = {Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn},
year = 2005,
month = feb,
series = {ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy},
volume = 95,
note = {This paper argues that an increase in the inequality of wealth prompts a stronger quest for status that in turn fosters the accumulation of wealth. It proposes a measure for an individual’s want of social status. For a given level of a population’s wealth, the corresponding aggregate measure of want of social status is shown to be positively related to the Gini coefficient of wealth inequality. Hence the Gini coefficient and growth are positively correlated, holding the population’s wealth constant.},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/12307}
}
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