Master « Economie de la mondialisation »
2nd semester
Equity and development (part 1)
Part 2 is ensured by Margherita Comola
Charlotte Guénard, Economist – Paris 1 University and IEDES
Internet page:
UMR 201- Développement et Sociétés
UMR 225 DIAL - page personnelle
Email : guenard@univ-paris1.fr
Course website:
Not yet specified
Course content and objectives:
The course is intended to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the
concepts of inequality analysis: inequality measurement, human capabilities
framework, equity and equality of opportunities among others.
It first includes in-depth analysis of the recent trends of international inequalities, of
worldwide and continental monetary and non-monetary poverty, in perspective with
the Millennium Development Goals. Then, after a theoretical review of the economic
study of social justice, recent empirical contributions focusing on the equality of
opportunities will specially be examined toward different topics (for example social
mobility, education, aid allocation).
Duration: 9 hours
Detailed content of each lecture
Lecture 1. Inequality in the world: An Overview
 Introduction: why study inequality?
 International inequality and development gaps
 Inequality and growth: the absence of consensus
 Beyond inequality: some example of equity measurement
 The World Development Report 2006: a critical view
Readings
1. World Development Report 2006
2. Banerjee A.V., Duflo E. (2003), « Inequality and Growth: What Can the Data
Say? », NBER WP 7793.
3. Roemer J.E. (2006), “Review essay, the 2006 world development report: Equity
and development”, Journal of Economic Inequality, March
4. Cling J-P., Cogneau D., Loup J., Naudet J-D., Razafindrakoto M., Roubaud F.
(2006), "Development, a Question of Opportunity? A Critique of the 2006
World Development Report: Equity and Development," Development Policy
Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 24(4), pp.455-476.
5. Bourguignon F., Ferreira F.H.G., Walton M. (2006), “Equity, efficiency and
inequality traps: a research agenda”, Journal of Economic Inequality,
December.
6. Human Development Report 2010
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Lectures 2 and 3. Equality of opportunities
 Introduction
 Theorical concepts: Rawls, Dworking, Roemer’s contributions
 Empirical studies on the equality of opportunities: social mobility and income;
educational opportunities among children; aid allocation.
Readings
Synthetic overview
1. Fleurbaey M. (1998), « Equality among responsible individuals » in J.F. Laslier et
alii eds, Freedom in economics, Routledge
2. Roemer J.E. (1998), “Equality of Opportunity”, Harvard University Press.
Empirical contributions
3. Bourguignon F., F. Ferreira and M. Menendez (2007), “Inequality of Opportunity in
Brazil”, Review of Income and Wealth, vol.53 (4), December, pp.585-618.
4. Cogneau D., S. Mesplé-Somps (2008), Inequality of Opportunity for Income in Five
Countries of Africa, DIAL Working paper n° 2008-04.
5. Cogneau D., T. Bossuroy, P. De Vreyer, C. Guénard, V. Hiller, P. Leite, S. MespléSomps, L. Pasquier-Doumer, and C. Torelli, 2006. Inequalities and Equity in
Africa, AFD Notes et Documents 31.
6. Cogneau D., Naudet J-D. (2007), "Who Deserves Aid? Equality of Opportunity,
International Aid, and Poverty Reduction," World Development, Elsevier, vol.
35(1), pages 104-120, January.
7. Pasquier L. (2010), Inequality of opportunity on the urban labour market in West
Africa, DIAL Working paper n°2010-09, 40p.
Complementary readings
Other empirical contributions
Betts J. R., J. E. Roemer (2007), Equalizing Opportunity through Educational Finance
Reform in L. Woessmann and P. E. Peterson (ed.) Schools and the Equal
Opportunity Problem, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Cogneau D., 2006. Equality of opportunity and other equity principles in the context of
developing countries, in Kochendorfer-Lucius G., B. Pleskovic (eds), Equity and
Development, InWent / World Bank Berlin workshop series, World Bank
publications, Washington DC, pp. 53-68.
Roemer J., R. Aaberge, U. Colombino, J. Fritzell, S. Jenkins, A. Lefranc, I. Marx, M.
Page, E. Pommer, J. Ruiz-Castillo, M. J. San Segundo, T. Tranaes, A. Trannoy,
G. G. Wagner, I. Zubiri (2003) To what extent do fiscal regimes equalize
opportunities for income acquisition among citizens? Journal of Public
Economics 87(3-4), 539-565.
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