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On Measuring Intergroup Inequality

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  • D. JOHN GROVE

    (University of Denver)

  • ROBERT HANNUM

    (University of Denver)

Abstract

This article develops an alternative measure for use in comparing two income distributions. The measure builds on the argument that under certain conditions inequality and dissimilarity are not the same thing, and this difference can be used to develop a measure of “crossover.†As far as we know, no analyst has developed a statistical measure that can determine the size of crossover (overlap) between two cumulative distribution functions. The measure is then applied to racial income distribution data in the United States. The results show some of the “styles†of crossover that vary from bottom-up to top-down patterns. We argue that the overlap information generated by this measure can provide insight into who benefits by trends in intergroup convergence that is not gained when using existing intergroup inequality measures.

Suggested Citation

  • D. John Grove & Robert Hannum, 1986. "On Measuring Intergroup Inequality," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 15(1-2), pages 142-159, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:15:y:1986:i:1-2:p:142-159
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124186015001010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William Darity, 1980. "Illusions of black economic progress," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 153-168, December.
    2. Ebert, Udo, 1984. "Measures of distance between income distributions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 266-274, April.
    3. Dagum, Camilo, 1980. "Inequality Measures between Income Distributions with Applications," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(7), pages 1791-1803, November.
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