Sophia Research Workshop on Inequality and Well-Being
Titles and Abstracts

Kohei Kamaga (Sophia University)
Title: Extreme Values, Means, and Inequality Measurement (jointly with Walter Bossert andConchita DʼAmbrosio)

Abstract: We examine some ordinal measures of inequality that are familiar from theliterature. These measures have a quite simple structure in that their values are determinedby combinations of specific summary statistics such as the extreme values and the arithmetic
mean of a distribution. In spite of their common appearance, there seem to be noaxiomatizations available so far, and this paper is intended to fill that gap. In particular, weconsider the absolute and relative variants of the range, which is based on the difference andthe ratio of maximal and minimal incomes; the max-mean orderings defined by thedifference and the ratio of maximal and mean incomes; the mean-min orderings that focus
on the difference and the ratio of mean and minimal incomes; and quantile-based measuresthat employ top and bottom income shares and gaps. In addition, we provide some empiricalobservations that are intended to illustrate that, although these orderings are
straightforward to define, some of them display a surprisingly high correlation withalternative (more complex) measures. This observation turns out to apply particularly in thecontext of some absolute inequality orderings.

Andrew E. Clark (Paris School of Economics, CNRS)
Title: Bechdel at the Box Office: Gender Inequality and Cinema Success in 58 Countries(jointly with Conchita DʼAmbrosio and Giorgia Menta)

Abstract: We here establish a link between various country-level measures of genderinequality and the relative success (as measured by Box Office Receipts) of films acrossdifferent countries. We establish the “gender-equality” of each film using the Bechdel test
(which is passed for films with at least two named women in, who talk to each other aboutsomething other than a man). In most countries we find that films that pass the Bechdel test
have significantly higher box-office receipts (controlling for the film budget). The cinema
success of gender-equal films is correlated with a number of established measures of genderequality, including the UN Gender Development Index and Male-Female Labour-ForceParticipation, so that common measures of womenʼs position are match revealed preference
consumer behaviour in each country, as measured by the choice of different types of films.
On the contrary, there is no relationship between Bechdel cinema success and stated gender
attitudes.

Conchita DʼAmbrosio (University of Luxembourg)
Title: Economic Insecurity and the Rise of the Right (jointly with Walter Bossert, Andrew E. Clark,and Anthony Lepinteur)Abstract: Economic insecurity has attracted growing attention in social, academic and policy
circles. However, there is no consensus as to its precise definition. Intuitively, economicinsecurity is multi-faceted, making any comprehensive formal definition that subsumes allpossible aspects extremely challenging. We propose a simplified approach, and characterize
a class of individual economic-insecurity measures that are based on the time profile ofeconomic resources. We then apply our economic-insecurity measure to data on politicalpreferences. In US, UK and German panel data, and conditional on current economicresources, economic insecurity is associated with both greater political participation(support for a party or the intention to vote) and notably more support for parties on theright of the political spectrum. We in particular find that economic insecurity predicts
greater support for both Donald Trump before the 2016 US Presidential election and theUK leaving the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Claus Vögele (University of Luxembourg)
Title: The Measurement of Resilience (jointly with Geir B. Asheim, Walter Bossert, and Conchita
DʼAmbrosio)

Abstract: We provide an axiomatic approach to the measurement of individual resilience.
Resilience has been an increasingly important topic in many social sciences but, as of now,there does not seem to be much literature on its theoretical foundations. This paper isintended to fill that gap. After an introduction to the notion of resilience and its possible
determinants, we introduce a set of intuitively appealing properties that a resilience measureis required to possess. Our result is a characterization of the specific resilience ordering thatsatisfies these axioms.