Indicators and Measurements in the Study of Social Inequality

This chapter addresses the use of indicators and measurements in the study of social inequality. It focuses on empirical literature on income inequality, the economic effects of discrimination, education, and social mobility and class analysis. It shows how different indicators and technics of measurement and analysis are related to major theoretical developments in those fields of research. The chapter does not delve into the computational mechanics behind the different technics. It rather focuses on the substantive motivations for their uses in research on social inequality. Its main purpose is interpretative.