- August 2017
In this issue: Héléne Zamor, Riann Singh, Jairzinho Rigsby, Narendra Ramgulam, Delroy A. Chevers, Andrew J. Spencer, Duane Edwards, Michelle Salandy, Lester Henry, Alister McIntyre, Leroy Binns
The thematic focus in this issue includes : Haiti, infant and child mortality, minimum wage, poverty, inequality, immigrants, integration, settlement, Antigua, Barbados, Caribbean, newspapers, judicial system, elections.
Pages: 1-19Author(s): Ronald M. Gordon
This article explores the socio-economic determinants of infant and child mortality in Haiti, which were identified as maternal education, age, residence and income, by a logistic regression analysis of Haiti’s Demographic Health and Survey data for 2000. Incremental increase in education, by itself, was statistically significant in reducing the likelihood of the incidence of childhood mortality by 20.8%. With the inclusion of residence and controlling for age, an incremental increase in education results in an 18.6% decrease in the probability of childhood mortality, while incremental increase in age leads to a 15.5% increase in childhood mortality. Possession of a composite of consumer items, durables and utilities access was used as a proxy for income. This proxy income variable indicated that an incremental increase in income could reduce childhood mortality by 29.9%.
Keywords: Haiti, infant and child mortality
Pages: 20-41Author(s): Rudolph Browne, Winston Moore and Shernel Thompson
This article explores the fact that labour legislation in Barbados only covers a small proportion of the employed labour force. A national minimum wage has therefore been suggested as a means to guarantee some minimum standard of living for workers. To inform discussion on the topic, this study uses micro simulation techniques to assess the potential impact of various levels of the minimum wage rate on poverty and inequality in Barbados. The results obtained from the simulation exercise suggest that once employment effects are taken into account, the impact of a minimum wage on poverty and inequality are likely to be small.
Keywords: minimum wage, poverty, inequality
Pages: 42-70Author(s): Carl E. James
This article explores the extent to which regional immigrants who have settled in Barbados and Antigua are “happily” integrating into these societies. Using newspaper accounts, it discusses the perceptions, interactions and exchanges among nationals and immigrants in relation to the cultural, social and political contexts and discourses of the respective societies. It was found that the social and political situation in the islands, and the skepticism and ambivalence of immigrants and citizens toward each other, produced tension and angst among them. Nationals expected immigrants to assimilate – to become like them, to settle for similar pay and working conditions, and to participate in the political process in the ways nationals do. Immigrants expected their practices and aspirations to be accepted as they tried to make life in their new society.
Keywords: immigrants, integration, settlement, Antigua, Barbados, Caribbean, newspapers, letters to the editors, employment, judicial system, elections
Pages: 71-79Author(s):
This report is based on the proceedings of a Policy Forum on the Global Economic Crisis delivered at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. This forum was sponsored by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) and the Barbados Economics Society (BES). The report was prepared by Christine Barrow, SALISES, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados and Managing Editor, Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies.
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