Marcella Corsi

The Gendered Nature of Poverty in the EU: Individualized versus Collective Poverty Measures

ABSTRACT Due to the adoption of the household as a unit of analysis, researchers have failed to identify accurate measures of womens income poverty. This study proposes an individualized measure of European poverty to highlight gender differences in the economic crisis. Employing data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) for the period 2007–12, it compares the household-based at-risk-of-poverty rate (ARPR) and the individualized financial dependency rate (FDR). The study shows that the gender gap in poverty in Europe is considerably higher when computed through FDR. Indeed, since the ARPR constitutes a proxy of the households average conditions, it levels down gender inequalities within the household and also variations in individuals’ incomes over time. Only more detailed data collection on intrahousehold resource sharing will possibly allow the development of more precise and realistic indicators of womens and mens risks of poverty and financial dependency.

On the Evaluation of Economic Research: The Case of Italy

The Italian case can be considered as an internationally relevant example to suggest a critical reflection on the evaluation criteria adopted in research assessment exercises, pointing at the need of clear and shared guidelines based on transparency and accountability and aiming at preserving (or even encouraging) the pluralism of ideas. Our findings support the view that if research institutions are encouraged to engage only in those lines of research that are likely to receive the highest rating according to the adopted evaluation criteria, a convergence process is to be expected within Economics, resulting in a disregard of heterodox schools and historical methods in favour of mainstream approaches and quantitative methods. In our view, a proper fine-tuning of the assessment methodology is needed, before subsequent rankings can be used as a guide for the allocation of public financing among research institutions. In the case of Economics, this means overcoming the limits of commonly adopted peer review approaches, through the development of proper evaluation designs and the integration of qualitative appraisals with quantitative indicators. In order to preserve pluralism and originality of research, we propose a simple quantitative index based on field-normalization.

Knowledge and Job Opportunities in a Gender Perspective: Insights from Italy

By considering the case of Italy we show that despite much rhetoric and expectations about the fact that women have gradually overcome men in terms of educational attainments, they still lack behind in terms of the main skills and competencies that can profitably be used in the market. On the one hand, women lack both general and specific knowledge related to the labour market, on the other hand the skills and competencies they acquire by carrying on unpaid work do not seem to be positively valued by the market. However, women also appear to exhibit higher returns to knowledge, both in terms of returns to education and of returns to work-related knowledge. Women’s employment is more determined by the joint impact of care burdens and knowledge-determined opportunities, and their wages are more significantly affected by our indicators of knowledge. More than for men, while specialisation improves “insider” women’s wages, it reduces “outsider” women’s ability to obtain a job.

Gender Discrimination in Microfinance? Some Evidence from Uganda

Abstract Microfinance literature has proved the existence of gender discriminatory practices against women in some specific contexts. Discrimination is often explored from the access side (loans approved or denied). Following Agier and Szafarz (2013), we deviate from this practice and use the variable loan size, considering up to four loans for each client. Drawing on data from a microfinance programme in Uganda, we find no evidence of gender discrimination against women clients, even though our results show that the loan size is influenced by personal characteristics and that women, in contrast to men, are rewarded according to their credit history.

Thinking of Sylos Labini (or Sylos Labini's Thinking)

Abstract This note reflects upon the methodological principles that Paolo Sylos Labini (1920–2005) brought to his work as a political economist. Sylos Labini drew upon history, political science, sociology and philosophy in order to explain economic processes, and he insisted that an interdisciplinary approach was essential to formulating effective policy responses to modern social problems.

A Case Study of Pluralism in Economics: The Heterodox Glass Ceiling in Italy

ABSTRACT Quantitative measures of supposed scientific ‘quality’ (or ‘impact’) based on bibliometric indicators are used as the primary or exclusive tools of research evaluation in a growing number of countries. The negative impact of this method of evaluation on pluralism in economic teaching and research has been documented in Italy, France, Australia and the United Kingdom. We provide new evidence for Italy by investigating the CVs and publications of all candidates for the ‘national scientific qualification’, which is needed to access all tenured Italian academic positions. With respect to past evidence, we focus on the homologation of research topics and methods as well as the delegitimization of particular publication outlets. Our analysis has relevant implications internationally. First, research evaluation aimed at identifying ‘excellence’ often boils down to (as in the case of Italy) the adoption of rankings of supposedly top journals, which systematically discriminate against heterodox journals. Second, the legitimacy of academic research published in the form of books and book chapters must be reclaimed. Third, heterodox economists risk discrimination not so much because of their methods or policy recommendations, but because of the topics and research fields they investigate.

Economic Independence and the Position of Women on the Labour Market of the European Union

Upon request of the FEMM committee, this study examines the position of women on the labour market, drawing particular attention to factors behind the gender pay gap and the gender gap in pensions. The current crisis presents aspects that no other crisis has shown before. On the surface, gaps between men and women are being bridged but under the surface things are more complex and effects more diversified. Overall, there is a need to introduce a gender perspective in the recovery measures: it would help to get out of the current situation sooner and better.

The Gender Impact of Microfinance: The Case of Wekembe in Uganda

Microfinance industry has grown massively in the past decades. Even if it is commonly considered as an importantdevelopment tool, the evidence of the socio-economic impact of microfinance is mixed, regardless of what methodology hasbeen applied. The purpose of this study is to assess the socio-economic impact of microfinance on the clients of amicrofinance program in Uganda, named Wekembe. To do so, we have conducted a survey on 294 Wekembe’s clients andwe have used the survey results to build a dataset, which by means of different methodologies – controlling also for selectionbias by means of a generalized propensity score (GPS) matching technique - allows us to analyse the impact ofmicrofinance on Wekembe clients’ savings and women clients’ empowerment.

Il mestiere dell'economista secondo Paolo Sylos Labini

Questo articolo si incentra sui principi che devono guidare, secondo Sylos Labini, il comportamento dell’economista quale scienziato sociale, senza troppo preoccuparsi di varcare i limiti dell’economia, anzi accettando contaminazioni di vario tipo (con la storia, la politica, la filosofia, la sociologia, la matematica, la statistica ecc.).

COMMENTO A SALVEMINIANI E MACHIAVELLICI DI MICHELE SALVATI

Il problema della critica portata da Salvati a Paolo Sylos Labini e quello di ritenere che chiunque non sia “machiavellico”, cioe chiunque secondo Salvati non si uniformi al senso “cinico” del termine, non sia nemmeno in grado di essere machiavellico nel senso migliore: cioe non sia in grado di operare tenendo conto delle realta della politica e della societa. In realta Sylos Labini, essendo un riformista, non e mai stato cosi ingenuo, e nemmeno manicheo. Per lui essere intransigente sul piano etico era non gia un modo per dividere la realta in bianca e nera, ma per far si che si potessero colorare di bianco, o almeno schiarire, le tonalita grigie prevalenti nel mondo reale.