ODM y Desarrollo Humano "Sociological and Economic Approaches to
the Intergenerational Transmission of Inequality in Latin
America" Latin America is the region of the world with the
highest level of income inequality (De Ferranti et al. 2004).
The historical roots of economic inequality date back to the
colonial times. They include the unequal distribution of land,
and the establishment of institutions that prevented the access
to human capital, productive resources, and political power by
the majority of the population (Engerman and Sokoloff 2002).