Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius Stiftelse Tore Browaldhs Stiftelse

Increased social stratification is associated with societal problems, most clearly in the Global South. Research on the origins of high social stratification has therefore grown, but empirical and methodological challenges complicate the work. Our project aims to investigate the origins of the high social stratification in Argentina (1850–1900), once a wealthy country but now afflicted by crises and inequality – commonly referred to as the “Argentine paradox.” We plan to use advanced OCR technology to digitize a rich body of source material at the individual level. By examining measures of occupational structure, literacy, and social mobility, we will provide new insights into the historical origins of the “Argentine paradox.”