Cuadernos de economía On-line version ISSN 0717-6821 ALDAZ-
CARROLL, ENRIQUE and MORAN, RICARDO. ESCAPING THE POVERTY TRAP
IN LATIN AMERICA: THE ROLE OF FAMILY FACTORS. Cuad. econ.
[online]. 2001, vol.38, n.114, pp. 155-190. ISSN 0717-6821. doi:
10.4067/S0717-68212001011400003. Much like an inherited trait,
poverty trends to pass from parent to child. How prevalent is
this "curse of the poor," why do some escape it, and how can we
help improve the odds? This study sets out to gauge the extent
of this "Intergenerational transmission of poverty" (ITP) in 16
Latin American countries, analyze certain factors affecting it,
and raise policy considerations. Among the various a priori
determinants of ITP, the study focuses on "family factors" -
those more closely related to characteristics of the household,
such as mother's schooling, than to its economic and social
environment. The empirical results indicate that the prevalence
of ITP in Latin America is strong and that family factors play
an important role in the ed