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Graziella Bertocchi

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy, and IZA, Germany

The potential policy implications of the topic I have chosen for my contribution for IZA World of Labor have been a major motivation for my research. I am excited to have found this opportunity to disseminate my findings to a wide audience

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Professor of Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; President, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), Rome, Italy

Research interest

Macroeconomics, political economy, comparative development

Website

https://personale.unimore.it/rubrica/dettaglio/bertocch

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Coordinator: Evaluation Group for Economics, Italian Agency for the Evaluation of the University System (ANVUR), 2011–2013

Past positions

Associate Professor of Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy, 1993–2000; Assistant Professor of Economics, Brown University, USA, 1987–1994

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1988

Selected publications

  • "Primogeniture." In: Turner, B. S. (ed.). The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Forthcoming.

  • "Slavery, education, and inequality." European Economic Review 70 (2014): 197–209 (with A. Dimico).

  • "Who holds the purse strings within the household? The determinants of intra-family decision making." Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 101 (2014): 65–86 (with M. Brunetti and C. Torricelli).

  • "The racial gap in education and the legacy of slavery." Journal of Comparative Economics 40 (2012): 581–595 (with A. Dimico).

  • "The enfranchisement of women and the welfare state." European Economic Review 55 (2011): 535–553.

article(s)

  • Slavery, racial inequality, and education

    Historical slavery may be a driver of human capital and its unequal racial distribution, with implications for education and income inequalities

    Graziella Bertocchi, February 2015
    Income inequality is a critical issue in both political and public debate. Educational attainment is a key causal factor of continuing inequality, since it influences human capital accumulation and, as a consequence, the unequal distribution of earnings. Educational inequality displays a racial dimension that is particularly persistent and difficult to eradicate through policy measures. Its roots lie in the colonial institution of slave labor, which was widespread in the US and Latin America up until the 19th century. However, the influence of slavery differs significantly across countries and between regions.
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