Social classes in Chile: theory and data

Abstract

Chile is known as one of the most economically developed and, until recently, politically stable countries in Latin America. It is also renown for the high quality and wide coverage of its healthcare, mental health services, and preventive programs. However, these global indicators for Chile mask great economic and social inequality. When we examine Chile’s Gini Index, a measure of wealth distribution, it is over 0.50, which is one of the world’s highest – greater than Mexico, Turkey, United States, and Great Britain (OECD, 2019). In this book, Professor Jorge Chuaqui and co-authors provide a theoretical perspective, which accurately describes that complexity of social classes in Chile and the economic precarity that a majority of Chileans experience. This recent publication connects with earlier works of Professor Chuaqui, which are both theoretical and empirical. James G. Linn, PhD (United States) Javier Molina-Johannes, PhDc (Chile)