Chen, Xi (2014): Relative Deprivation in China.
This is the latest version of this item.
Preview |
PDF
MPRA_paper_54621.pdf Download (69kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Relative deprivation (RD), also known as relative poverty , an idea implicitly put forward by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations and formally conceptualized by Runciman (1966), refers to the discontent people feel when they compare their positions to others and realize that others in the group possess something that they do not have. RD is important to Chinese people as reflected in the traditional saying “it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix”, indicating that taking a relatively good position benefits people in the Chinese society. RD is also a pressing issue for China after its three decade unprecedented economic growth accompanied by inequalities at historically high levels. This paper reviews key measures of RD and empirical findings for China. I also discuss some of the most pressing policy issues with regard to RD.
Item Type: | MPRA Paper |
---|---|
Original Title: | Relative Deprivation in China |
English Title: | Relative Deprivation in China |
Language: | English |
Keywords: | Relative Deprivation, Inequality, Poverty, China |
Subjects: | B - History of Economic Thought, Methodology, and Heterodox Approaches > B4 - Economic Methodology D - Microeconomics > D1 - Household Behavior and Family Economics D - Microeconomics > D3 - Distribution I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy |
Item ID: | 54621 |
Depositing User: | Dr. Xi Chen |
Date Deposited: | 22 Mar 2014 15:29 |
Last Modified: | 04 Oct 2019 05:54 |
References: | Banerjee, A. V. and E. Duflo. 2007. The economic lives of the poor. Journal of Economic Perspectives. 21(1): 141-167. Brown, P., E. Bulte. and X. Zhang. 2011. Positional spending and status seeking in rural China. Journal of Development Economics. 96(1): 139-149. Carlsson, F. and P. Qin. 2010. It is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix: Concern for relative standing in rural China, The Journal of Socio-Economics. 39(2): 180-186. Chen, X. and X. Zhang. 2012. Costly posturing: relative status, ceremonies and early child development in China. World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER) Research Working Paper No. 2012/70. Chen, X., R. Kanbur. and X. Zhang. 2012. Peer effects, risk pooling, and status seeking: what explains gift spending escalation in rural China? CEPR Discussion Papers 8777. Cooper, B., C. Garcia-Penalosa. and P. Funk. 2001. Status effects and negative utility growth. Economic Journal. 111: 642-665. Deaton, A. 2001. Relative deprivation, inequality, and mortality. NBER Working Paper 8099. Easterlin, R. 1974. Does economic growth improve the human lot? Some empirical evidence. In Nations and Households in Economic Growth: Essays in Honor of Moses Abramovitz, ed. R. David and M. Reder. New York: Academic Press, 89–125. Easterlin, R. 2001. Income and happiness: towards a unified theory. Economic Journal 111: 465–484. Frank, R.H., 1999. Luxury Fever: Why Money Fails to Satisfy in an Era of Excess. Free Press, New York. Gerdtham, Ulf-G. and M. Johannesson. 2004. Absolute income, relative income, income inequality, and mortality. Journal of Human Resources. 39 (1): 228–248. Jin, Y., B. Wu. and H. Li. 2010. Income inequality, status seeking, and consumption. MPRA Paper, University Library of Munich. http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:22641. Knight, J., L. Song. and R. Gunatilaka. 2009. Subjective well-being and its determinants in rural China. China Economic Review. 20(4): 635-649. Li, H. and Y. Zhu. 2006. Income, income inequality, and health: Evidence from China. Journal of Comparative Economics. 34(4): 668-693. Ling, D. 2009. Do the Chinese ‘keep up with the joneses’? implications of growing economic disparities and relative deprivation on health outcomes among older adults in China. China Economic Review. 20(1): 65-81. Mangyo, E. and A. Park. 2011. Relative deprivation and health: Which reference groups matter? Journal of Human Resources 46(3): 459-481. Marmot, Michael G., Davey-Smith, George, et al. 1991. Health inequalities among British civil servants: The Whitehall II study. Lancet. 337 (8754): 1387–1393. Ravallion, M. and S. Chen. 2011. Weakly relative poverty. Review of Economics and Statistics. 93(4): 1251-1261. Ravallion, M. and M. Lokshin. 2010. Who cares about relative deprivation? Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. 73(2): 171-185. Runciman, W.G., 1966. Relative Deprivation and Social Justice. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London. Stark, O. and S. Yitzhaki. 1988. Labor migration as a response to relative deprivation. Journal of Population Economics. 1 (1): 57–70. Sun, W. and X. Wang. 2012. Do relative income and income inequality affect consumption? Evidence from the villages of rural China. Journal of Development Studies. 1-14. Wildman, J. 2003a. Modeling health, income and income inequality: The impact of income inequality on health and health inequality. Journal of Health Economics. 22, 521−538. Wildman, J. 2003b. Income related inequalities in mental health in Great Britain: Analyzing the causes of health inequality over time. Journal of Health Economics. 22, 295−312. Yitzhaki, S. 1979. Relative deprivation and the Gini coefficient. Quarterly Journal of Economics. 93(2): 321-24. |
URI: | https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/id/eprint/54621 |
Available Versions of this Item
-
Relative Deprivation in China. (deposited 24 Jul 2013 23:37)
- Relative Deprivation in China. (deposited 22 Mar 2014 15:29) [Currently Displayed]
- Relative Deprivation in China. (deposited 19 Mar 2014 07:30)