The Guatemalan social pyramid in the XXI century

Volume 5, Issue 4, August 2021     |     PP. 155-175      |     PDF (194 K)    |     Pub. Date: June 21, 2021
DOI: 10.54647/sociology84580    81 Downloads     5292 Views  

Author(s)

Guillermo Diaz, Universidad Rafael Landívar, Guatemala

Abstract
This paper describes the composition of the Guatemalan social pyramid in the 21st century, built from a class scheme elaborated based on occupational categories and a social stratification carried out according to income and education. The data were obtained from population censuses and employment and income surveys, from the years 2002 and 2018. The results show that the Guatemalan social pyramid is of a triangular type, with a broad working-class base, according to the class scheme, or very poor low stratum, according to socioeconomic stratification. They also show that the base remained stable in the two years in comparison, which is interpreted as an indicator of a society with few opportunities for social mobility.

Keywords
social pyramid, social stratification, class structure, social mobility, social classes.

Cite this paper
Guillermo Diaz, The Guatemalan social pyramid in the XXI century , SCIREA Journal of Sociology. Volume 5, Issue 4, August 2021 | PP. 155-175. 10.54647/sociology84580

References

[ 1 ] Atria, R. (2004). Occupational structure, social structure and social classes. Social Policy Series, 96. Santiago, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
[ 2 ] Azariadis, C. and Stachuski, J. (2005). Poverty traps. In: P. Aghion and S. Durlauf, edits.
[ 3 ] Handbook of economic growth. London: Elsevier, pp. 295-384.
[ 4 ] Bank of Guatemala. (2002). National directory of companies and their premises 2002. Guatemala: Proname.
[ 5 ] Bank of Guatemala. (2013). National directory of companies and their premises 2013. http://www.banguat.gob.gt/sites/default/files/banguat/Publica/DINEL/Informe_DINEL_2013.pdf
[ 6 ] World Bank. (February 15, 2021). Databank. https://datos.bancomundial.org/
[ 7 ] Cortés, F. and Escobar, A. (2005). Intergenerational social mobility in urban Mexico. CEPAL Review, (83), 149-167.
[ 8 ] Bordieu, P. (2001). Power, right and social classes. (Trans. J. Bernuz). Madrid: Desclée de Brouwer.
[ 9 ] Latinobarómetro Corporation. Report 2015. https://www.latinobarometro.org/lat.jsp
[ 10 ] Latinobarómetro Corporation. Report 2016. https://www.latinobarometro.org/lat.jsp
[ 11 ] Dalle, P. (2012). Recent changes in social stratification in Argentina (2003-2011). Inflections and emerging dynamics of social mobility. Arguments. Journal of social criticism, (14), 77-114.
[ 12 ] Dahrendorf, R. (1966). Social classes and their conflict in industrial society. Madrid: Rialp.
[ 13 ] Díaz, G. (2012). Stratification and social mobility in Guatemala. CEPAL Review (107), 31-49.
[ 14 ] Díaz, G. (2018). Poverty and educational social mobility in Guatemala. The social elevator walks slowly. Podium, 33, 45-54.
[ 15 ] Díaz, G. (2019). The Poverty Club in Latin America. The Guatemala case. Bet. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 83, 138-152, http://apostadigital.com/revistav3/hemeroteca/godiaz.pdf
[ 16 ] Díaz, G. (2020). Educational social mobility in Guatemala: The social elevator walks slowly. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education, (7), 8, 71-79.
[ 17 ] Erikson, R. and Goldthorpe, J. (1993). The constant flux: A stury of class mobility in industrial societies. Oxford: Claredon Press.
[ 18 ] Espinosa, V., Barozet, M. and Méndez, M. (2013). Stratification and social mobility under a neoliberal model: The case of Chile. Revista Lavboratorio, (25), 14, 169-191.
[ 19 ] Ferreira, F., Messina, J., Rrigolini, J., López, L., Lugo, M. and Vakis, R. (2013). Economic mobility and the growth of the middle class in Latin America. Washington: World Bank.
[ 20 ] Fresneda, O. (2017). Evolution of the class structure in Colombia, 1983-2010. Have the middle classes grown? Society and economy. (33), 205-236.
[ 21 ] Statistics National Institute. (2019). XI National Population Census and VI of Housing 2002. https://www.ine.gob.gt/ine/censo-2002/
[ 22 ] Statistics National Institute. (2003). National Survey of Employment and Income. 2002. https://www.ine.gob.gt/index.php/encuestas/empleo-e-ingresos
[ 23 ] Statistics National Institute. (2018). National Survey of Employment and Income. 2018. https://www.ine.gob.gt/index.php/encuestas/empleo-e-ingresos
[ 24 ] Statistics National Institute. (2019). XII National Population Census and VII of Housing 2018. https://www.censopoblacion.gt/descarga
[ 25 ] Kerbo, H. (2003). Social stratification and inequality. Madrid: McGrawHill.
[ 26 ] Kessler, G. and Espinoza, V. (2003). Social mobility and occupational trajectories in Argentina: Ruptures and some paradoxes in the case of Buenos Aires. Social Policy Series, 66. Santiago, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
[ 27 ] Lenski, G. (1969). Power and privilege. Theory of social stratification. Buenos Aires: Paidós.
[ 28 ] Marx, C. (1973). Capital. Critique of Political Economy. Mexico: Economic Culture Fund.
[ 29 ] Marx, C. and Engels, F. (1970). Manifesto of the communist party and other political writings. Mexico: Grijalbo.
[ 30 ] Marhino, L. and Quiroz, V. (2018). Social stratification: A multidimensional methodological proposal for the northern subregion of Latin America and the Caribbean. Mexico, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
[ 31 ] Ministry of Education. (2019). Statistical Yearbook of Education in Guatemala. Guatemala: Author.
[ 32 ] Parkin, F. (1978). Political order and class inequalities. Social stratification of capitalist and communist societies. Madrid: Debate.
[ 33 ] Pérez, P. (2018). Social classes, economic sectors and changes in the Chilean social structure between 1992 and 2013. CEPAL Review (126), 171-191.
[ 34 ] Pérez, J., Andrade, K., Bastos, S. and Herradora, M. (2003). The social order in the face of globalization. Stratifying processes in Central America during the nineties. Social Policy Series, 80. Santiago, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
[ 35 ] UNDP. (2005). Ethnic-cultural diversity: Citizenship in a plural state: National Human Development Report 2005. Guatemala: Author.
[ 36 ] Portes, A. and Hoffman, K. (2003). Class structures in Latin America: Composition and changes during the neoliberal era. Social Policies Series, 68. Santiago, Economic Commission.