Can education reduce social inequality? These two books, which talk to us about the theory of multiple intelligences and the importance of passion and perseverance, propose educational options for working in this direction.

Research is a potential driving force for promoting economic growth and social welfare. What is the relative effort in research that different countries make? What economic activities are related to that research? This set of indicators provides an introduction to the history of research and innovation in various countries.

How is our country positioned in cultural questions? Understanding culture in its broadest form, the indicators presented by the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” in this section allow us to interpret how culture is interrelated, within a European context, with today’s social and economic reality.

What is the country’s socioeconomic situation? The Social Observatory of “la Caixa” includes in this section a series of indicators that offer a current-day snapshot of the relationship between the economy and people, analysing aspects such as the composition of households or labour market access in comparison with the societies of peer countries.

Using a series of basic indicators and synthetic indicators on social, demographic and economic issues, this section of the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” offers a view in figures of the social reality of Spain within the European and international context.

Increasingly, certain areas of research – such as biomedicine – incorporate the sex and gender dimension into their projects. However, despite its relevance, this question continues to be a pending assignment in the majority of cases.

Where is education heading? In this section the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” presents a series of indicators are presented that are key to understanding the situation of education in our society. The majority have been built using data from international databases such as the European Social Survey (ESS) or the PISA Report, among others.

Jane Waldfogel is Chair Professor in Social Work at the University of Columbia. In this interview, the main author of the book Too Many Children Left Behind proposes solutions for tackling differences in performance between students.

These two works analyse, from the angles of psychology and sociology respectively, the increase in social opportunities for underprivileged children. The first proposes acting on the environment and the second, on individual capabilities. 

How should we care for our children? The discipline of Amy Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, contrasts with the experimental extravagances of Dalton Conley and his Parentology. However, the two share a competitive vision of childhood that focuses on social approval.

Education, research and knowledge are fundamental pillars for predicting a country’s future development. The Dossier  tackles the role of education as a social elevator and the presence of students of immigrant origin in the classroom.

Energy poverty is a growing phenomenon since the beginning of the crisis in 2008 and the highest incidence is found in certain socioeconomic groups. What are the consequences of this reality? What structural measures would be needed to tackle this problem?

To what measure do differences in educational level and gender result in a greater or lesser degree of poverty? Despite the advances in healthcare, education and income that have taken place in Spain, inequalities persist based on people’s level of education.

Insofar as cultural heritage is a common good, its governance should be carried out in a way that is transparent and open to citizens; it is for this reason that the contributions of users are as important as the skills of the experts.

Health inequalities exist between Spanish individuals that are related to their socioeconomic situation. An analysis of the effects on social groups would allow effective policies to be designed to combat this inequality. 

Pre-school education plays a fundamental role in improving reading comprehension capabilities in primary and secondary school, especially among immigrant students. This is shown by the results in the three countries analysed: Spain, Norway and Sweden. 

The admission of immigrant students in the classroom has represented a significant change for the Spanish education system. Are there differences in the results of immigrant and non-immigrant students? Why?

Parental job insecurity – due to unemployment or temporary employment – is directly related with a reduction in the academic performance of their children, and its effects are different depending on whether such insecurity is suffered by fathers or mothers.

Public investment in R & D is one of the pillars of knowledge-based economies. How can we ensure that this effort is applied intelligently? What do governments need to know to support the investments with  greater social return?

How can equal opportunities be guaranteed for children and young people at risk of social exclusion? We analyze the current results and future challenges posed by comprehensive education inside and outside of the school. 

Inequality as a phenomenon can be studied from a local, global or international perspective. Branko Milanovic integrates these three points of view in order to reflect on the effect of globalisation within this inequality.

What do people living in poverty experience and what policies could help them? These two books aim to answer these two questions from opposing perspectives. Economics of Poverty adopts a theoretical and global focus, while Scarcity approaches the subject empirically and looks at specific cases.

How are the European welfare states facing up to the challenge of long-term care? From diverse viewpoints, the two books analyse and look at giving a response to the new challenges that have emerged.