<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The article delineates the main methodological deficiencies and datasets available for comparing income inequality at the European and world level. The article is divided in two parts. In the first part of the article, I present the main datasets and methodological deficiencies when trying to compare income inequality in the world. Although efforts have been made in the last decades to generate comparative databases, the qualities of some indicators are rather doubtful and also there is no common ground on conceptualizing inequality indicators and measuring them, some of which are income-based, while others are household expenditure-based. Then, I present two classical studies on studying income inequality after the Washington consensus. In the second part of the article I sketch an overview of rising income inequality in Romania after 1989 by presenting some income inequality indicators and comparing them with other former CEE countries. However, I will pinpoint that Romania’s case is rather exceptional in the EU and, when comparing standard income inequality indicators, further explication needs to be delivered. I conclude that while income inequality is the result of macro-structural changes that occurred during the transition to market capitalism, political decisions are not to be played-down.</p></abstract>

The article delineates the main methodological deficiencies and datasets available for comparing income inequality at the European and world level. The article is divided in two parts. In the first part of the article, I present the main datasets and methodological deficiencies when trying to compare income inequality in the world. Although efforts have been made in the last decades to generate comparative databases, the qualities of some indicators are rather doubtful and also there is no common ground on conceptualizing inequality indicators and measuring them, some of which are income-based, while others are household expenditure-based. Then, I present two classical studies on studying income inequality after the Washington consensus. In the second part of the article I sketch an overview of rising income inequality in Romania after 1989 by presenting some income inequality indicators and comparing them with other former CEE countries. However, I will pinpoint that Romania’s case is rather exceptional in the EU and, when comparing standard income inequality indicators, further explication needs to be delivered. I conclude that while income inequality is the result of macro-structural changes that occurred during the transition to market capitalism, political decisions are not to be played-down.

Measuring income inequality: comparative datasets and methodological deficiencies. An overview of income inequality in Romania during postsocialism

Research Institute for Quality of Life, School for Advanced Studies

Social Change Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The article delineates the main methodological deficiencies and datasets available for comparing income inequality at the European and world level. The article...

Measuring income inequality: comparative datasets and methodological deficiencies. An overview of income inequality in Romania during postsocialism

Published Online: Dec 24, 2018

Page range: 55 - 82

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/scr-2017-0003

Keywords
Income inequality, Comparative datasets, Methodological pitfalls, Neoliberalism, Postsocialism, Romania

© 2018 Ionuţ-Marian Anghel, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Measuring income inequality: comparative datasets and methodological deficiencies. An overview of income inequality in Romania during postsocialism

Published Online: Dec 24, 2018

Page range: 55 - 82

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/scr-2017-0003

KeywordsIncome inequality, Comparative datasets, Methodological pitfalls, Neoliberalism, Postsocialism, Romania

© 2018 Ionuţ-Marian Anghel, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Income inequality, Comparative datasets, Methodological pitfalls, Neoliberalism, Postsocialism, Romania