dc.contributor.advisor | Van der Berg, Servaas | en_ZA |
dc.contributor.advisor | Shepherd, Debra | en_ZA |
dc.contributor.advisor | Burger, Rulof, 1978- | en_ZA |
dc.contributor.author | Gondwe, Joel Roosevelt | en_ZA |
dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics. | en_ZA |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-03-03T12:42:50Z | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-04-21T14:40:58Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-03-03T12:42:50Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-04-21T14:40:58Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-03 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110113 | |
dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY : Economic inequality is a pervasive phenomenon that has long been a feature of both developed and developing countries. Such inequality is particularly problematic in developing countries because of its potential to exacerbate already established and yet detrimental features that characterise
most developing countries, such as high unemployment, a large informal sector, and high
population growth rates. This thesis investigates how inequality manifests itself through differential
student outcomes and also attempts to examine whether or not technological growth destroys
jobs and worsens wage inequality.
Chapter 2 investigates the relationship between student performance and socio-economic status
(SES) among grade six students in Malawi and Namibia. Malawi was specially included in this
cross-country comparison because it is likely that the underlying mechanisms that govern the
typical/expected SES-performance relationship do not hold in countries as poor as Malawi as
they would in more advanced developing countries like Namibia. Using OLS regressions and
hierarchical (multilevel) models, the results show an approximately flat socio-economic gradient
for student education performance for Malawi, for both the full sample and the reduced samples
(urban and rural). In Namibia, in contrast, SES appears to be correlated with student performance.
However, this is primarily driven by students who live in urban areas, whereas, like Malawi, rural
Namibia also has an approximately flat socio-economic gradient.
Chapter 3 builds on this by taking special interest in research in low-income countries like Malawi
and the challenge that arises when, in the absence of income/expenditure information, one has to
rely on an asset index to distinguish among individuals of comparable SES levels. This follows on
discussions in the literature that have well articulated the difficulty asset-based measures have of
doing so especially among various shades of poor individuals, that is, differentiating the poor from
the very poor: a feature which a measure used in very poor countries like Malawi should have.
Chapter 3 explores the use of finite mixture modelling as an alternative approach to achieving
this goal. The findings suggest that using this approach makes it possible to distinguish between
individuals’ relative SES level in a meaningful way.
Lastly, Chapter 4 is primarily interested in examining if technological growth in South Africa
contributed to exacerbation of wage inequality and job loss during the period from 1997 to 2015.
This analysis is done through the lens of a routine-biased technological change framework whose
main hypothesis is that recent technological advancements are biased towards replacing labour in
routine tasks. This chapter presents findings from descriptive analysis, OLS regressions, as well
as a non-linear systems estimator applied to a normalised CES production function. The results
show both descriptive and empirical evidence of a hollowing out of middle-skilled work (done by
workers whose occupations typically involve a high share of routine tasks). Further, these findings
are differentiated by gender and race. | en_ZA |
dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Ekonomiese ongelykheid is ‘n algemene verskynsel in beide ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande.
Sulke ongelykheid is veral problematies in ontwikkelende weens sy potensiaal om reeds bestaande
negatiewe kenmerke van die meeste sulke lande te vererger, soos hoe werkloosheid, ‘n groot
informele sektor en snel bevolkingsaanwas. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek hoe ongelykheid in
verskille in leerling-uitkomste manifesteer, en bestudeer ook in watter mate tegnologiese groei
werkgeleenthede uitwis en loonongelykheid vererger.
Hoofstuk 2 ondersoek die verhouding tussen leerling-uitkomste en sosio-ekonomiese status (SES)
onder graad 6 leerlinge in Malawi en Namibia. Malawi is veral by hierdie vergelyking tussen twee
ontwikkelende lande ingesluit, omdat die meganismes wat gewoonlik die verband tussen SES en
leerling-prestasie onderlˆe moontlik nie so goed in ‘n land so arm soos Malawi sal geld as in ‘n land
wat verder ontwikkel is soos Namibia nie. Met gebruik van gewone kleinste-kwadrate regressies
en hierargiese (multivlak) modelle word bevind dat Malawi se sosio-ekonomiese gradient byna
heeltemal plat is, beide vir die volle steekproef en vir aparte landelike en stedelike groeperings.
In Namibia, daarenteen, styg leerling-uitkomste o¨enskynlik met SES, maar dit word veral deur
stedelike leerlinge verklaar, terwyl die sosio-ekonomiese gradi¨ent in landelike gebiede plat is,
netsoos in Malawi.
Hoofstuk 3 bou hierop voort deur spesiale aandag te gee aan navorsing in lae-inkomste lande soos
Malawi en die uitdaging wat ontstaan wanneer navorsers weens die afwesigheid van inkomste of
bestedingsdata verplig is om ‘n bate-indeks te gebruik om tussen leerlinge met soortgelyke SES te
onderskei. Dit volg op besprekings in die vakliteratuur wat uiteensit hoe moeilik bate-indekse
veral tussen arm en baie arm individue kan onderskei – ‘n kenmerk wat erg nodig is in baie arm
lande soos Malawi. Hoofstuk 3 gebruik sogenaamde “finite mixture”-modelle as alternatiewe
metode om hierdie doel te bereik. Die resultate dui daarop dat dit ‘n sinvolle benadering bied om
tussen verskillende individue se relatiewe SES te onderskei. Ten slotte is die vraag in Hoofstuk 4
in watter mate tegnologiese verandering in Suid-Afrika van 1997 tot 2015 tot loonongelykheid en
verlies aan werkgeleenthede bygedra het. Hierdie analise gebruik ‘n roetine-gebaseerde tegnologiese
veranderingsraamwerk. Die belangrikste hipotese van hierdie raamwerk is dat onlangse
tegnologiese verandering geneig is om arbeid te vervang vir roetine take. Hierdie hoofstuk bied
resultate van beskrywende analise, OLS-regressies, sowel as ‘n nie-linieere stelsel-beramer toegepas
op ‘n genormaliseerde CES produksiefunksie. Die resultate toon beide beskrywende en empiriese
getuienis van ‘n uithol-proses van beroepe met ‘n groot mate van roetine-take, meestal beroepe in
die middel van die geskoolheidsverdeling. Die resultate word ook volgens geslag en ras gedifferensieer. | af_ZA |
dc.format.extent | xiii, 158 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures | |
dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
dc.subject | Student growth (Academic achievement) -- Developing countries | en_ZA |
dc.subject | Economic conditions -- Developing countries | en_ZA |
dc.subject | Social status -- Developing countries | en_ZA |
dc.subject | Labor market -- Effect of technological innovations on -- Developing countries | en_ZA |
dc.subject | Finite model theory | en_ZA |
dc.subject | UCTD | |
dc.title | Manifestations of inequality in three developing countries : an investigation of differential education and labour market outcomes | en_ZA |
dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
dc.description.version | Doctoral | |
dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |