Justine Burns
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I
joined the School of Economics in 1998. Currently, I am teaching
microeconomics in both the undergraduate programme (ECOS203F)
and the postgraduate programme (Masters Microeconomics). I am
also teaching and convening a new third year undergraduate
course this year in Quantitative Economics.
The
focus of my research is on economic issues pertaining to the
redress of poverty and inequality in South Africa. I am
currently working on three distinct areas in this regard:
1.
Intergenerational persistence in educational outcomes
A
large part of my current research focuses specifically on
intergenerational persistence in educational outcomes across
three generations of South Africans, as well as the factors that
influence schooling gaps at a primary and secondary school
level. A key
finding thus far is the existence of non-linearities in these
intergenerational transmission relationships, suggesting the
existence of an educational poverty trap.
2.
The importance of neighbourhood effects in facilitating economic
growth
A
related feature of my work investigates the importance of
“neighbourhood effects” and social capital for household
welfare, that is, the role that community development,
beneficiary participation, trust and social networks can play in
facilitating economic growth and in fostering egalitarian
outcomes. In my
work on educational mobility, my quantitative results thus far
suggest that while parental education and household income serve
to reduce schooling gap ratios at a primary and secondary level,
neighborhood effects (community location, and aggregate income
and education levels) have a very large and significant impact
on these outcomes as well.
3:
Paying for a living wage
The
third strand of my work focuses on the economic issues
surrounding the implementation and economic viability of a
living wage for workers in the apparel industry.
This
work links to a broader agenda concerned with social justice and
work relations in the workplace.
In this regard, I have been working with Prof. Robert Pollin at
the University of Massachusetts. Thus far, using
data for Mexico, the USA and South Africa, we have considered
what the final impact on retail prices for apparel might be if a
specified wage increase (that would result in workers being paid
a living wage) on the factory floor is passed, ceteris
paribus, through the commodity chain onto consumers in the
form of higher prices. Available
evidence for apparel industries in the US, Mexico and South
Africa supports the conclusion that a 50% wage increase for
apparel employees would result in retail price increases of less
than 5%. This result must be contextualised in light of recent
consumer surveys conducted at the University of Maryland in
which consumers reported that they would be willing to pay a
premium of 10% or more on specified items if this guaranteed
that they had been produced in good working conditions.
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