Ethno-linguistic Fragmentation, Discrimination, and Access to Clean Water in Mexico

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Author:

Marcela Gonza

Subject:

Social Sciences

Institution Name:

Latin America Learning

Collection:

Michigan State University

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Abstract:

Access to water is very unequal in Mexico and indigenous municipalities are particularly disadvantaged. The paper analyzes empirically the unequal access to water across Mexican municipalities and across individuals for the period of 2000-2005 using regression analysis. The contributions of this paper are two-fold. First, it expands the focus of the literature of ethnic fragmentation and public good provisions from level to distribution; and second, it presents an ethnic fractionalization index at the municipality level based on salient ethnic divide. The results show that there is a systematic water gap between indigenous and non-indigenous populations, even after controlling for various factors. The findings suggest that explanations of the negative relationship are related to discrimination and marginalization rather than differences in preferences across ethnically diverse groups.

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Audio Lectures, Lecture Notes, Video Lectures

Media Format:

Audio, Downloadable docs, Video

Conditions of Use:

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0