Browsing by Author "Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine"

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Affordability and sustainability in the human right to water
(2023) Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Carchi Morocho, Darwin Geovanny; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the affordability and sustainability of residential water consumption in Ecuador, a developing country. Design/methodology/approach To determine affordability, the authors assess water consumption and its distribution across different income levels of the population in the three main cities: Cuenca, Guayaquil and Quito. The authors then simulate the effects of a pricing policy on sustainability by deriving demand elasticities through a quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS). Findings Results show that Ecuador has low water tariffs with respect to other cities in Latin America, which points to its affordability. However, sustainability might not be guaranteed since consumption is overall higher than the level suggested by the World Health Organization. From an economic point of view, this could be motivated by the low tariffs. Indeed, the simulation of a pricing policy shows that higher prices can significantly reduce demand for most of the sample. However, in low-income households this reduction may compromise vital consumption. Research limitations/implications This research has important implications in terms of stimulating the discussion of how water affordability and sustainability can be achieved. For the case study, Ecuador, the results indicate that sustainability may not be guaranteed and that policies need to be designed to encourage it. Another implication is that population income levels should be considered to avoid negative effects for the most vulnerable groups. The main limitations of this study are methodological. First, the QUAIDS model is based on a conditional demand model (Zhen et al., 2013), which does not take into account spending on other goods. Second, data availability is limited and prevents a deeper analysis. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to analyze these issues in Ecuador, a country that recognizes the human right to water at the constitutional level.
Análisis de la segregación escolar por nivel socioeconómico en Ecuador y sus cantones en el año 2015 y 2019
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-02-27) Trelles Estrella, Karina Graciela; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
School segregation by socioeconomic level refers to the unequal distribution of students in education centers based on their socioeconomic level, a barely studied topic in Ecuador. This article seeks to quantify the level of school segregation in Ecuador and its cantons, analyze if it has changed in 2019 compared to 2015, and if it is heterogeneous at the cantonal level. To answer these questions, the "Ser Bachiller" database is explored for 2015 and 2019, separately. At the national level, four segregation indicators are calculated: the Gorard index, the Square Root index and the Reardon index (equality dimension), and the Isolation index (exposure dimension). At the cantonal level, a representative indicator in each dimension is calculated: the Gorard index and the Isolation index. The calculation is executed by defining quartiles of the Student Socioeconomic Index (ISEC) at the national level. The results point out that, at the country level, school segregation decreased in 2019 compared to 2015, and that its highly heterogeneous at the subnational level. Our results align to the literature in that higher concentrations from one socio-economic level translates into lower levels of segregation by equality but higher levels of segregation by exposure. That is, students are more alike and, therefore, less exposed to others from different backgrounds. Finally, a cluster analysis of the cantons is carried out, generating four segregation profiles that are well differentiated in terms of segregation, poverty and socioeconomic composition.
Cómo influye el conocimiento del retorno económico en las aspiraciones educativas
(2021) Castro Chamba, Jordan Richard; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Chamba Valarezo, Jennyfer Lizeth; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Aguilar Feijó, Víctor Gerardo
Discontent with democracy in Latin America
(2021) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Pontarollo, Nicola; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel
Satisfaction with democracy registered its lowest global score in 2019, with Latin America being the worst-performing region and the most seized by social protest. This paper briefly surveys and assesses the main narratives that attempt to explain the causes of this discontent in the region. The results show that discontent has different roots, which are mostly explained from an individual point of view rather than from a contextual one. Inequality of opportunity and institutional weaknesses play the main role. Considering the COVID-19 social and economic crisis, our results shed light on the key elements to address whether discontent is to be contained.
Ecological economics foundations to improve environmental education practices: designing regenerative cultures
(2022) Collado Ruano, Javier
The main objective of this article is to explore new paradigms of teacher training in the field of environmental education. That is why this qualitative study explores the literature on ecological economics and degrowth to identify the most important theoretical principles that can be integrated into environmental education practices. From a transdisciplinary approach, the study integrates a philosophical and epistemological dialogue between scientific knowledge and indigenous wisdom of the Ecuadorian peoples. Then, the results of introducing the ecological economics foundations in the Ecuadorian environmental education policies are described with the analysis of the TiNi program. Subsequently, the emergence of the regenerative economics in the literature is discussed. To conclude, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are questioned for their conventional economic vision, and regenerative cultures are proposed to promote world futures focused in human well-being and environmental justice.
Educación, pobreza y género: análisis intercultural y decolonial en la región andina
(2021) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
The objective of this article is to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 4, and 5 in the Andean Region, based on a critical, intercultural, and decolonial dialogues. The methodology systematizes, analyzes and interprets data obtained from the comparative study in the seven Andean countries, using different poverty, educational, and gender indexes from 2007 to 2017. As a result, the article allows to know the political, economic, educational, and social evolution in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. An intersectoral approach is also developed in order to recognize the conditions of structural inequality suffered by indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples of these Andean societies. To conclude, proposals are made to (re)think and (re)build strategies, plans, and public policies in the region
Efectos de la aplicación de un impuesto sobre el consumo de bebidas azucaradas en Ecuador como estrategia para combatir la obesidad y el sobrepeso
(2016) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Sarmiento Jara, Juan Pablo
This research aims to determine if a 15 cent per liter sugar-sweetened beverage tax could be considered an efficient public health policy facing the sharp rise in obesity and overweight rates in Ecuador. Using data from the NEIGHBOUR 2011-2012, a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) is estimated. The outcome shows that among average consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages, those belonging to the high-income level will experience the greatest annual weight (-1,5 pounds) and consumption reduction (-13,1liters), whereas consumers in the low-income level will experience the lowest effects. It is also found that the tax burden in terms of the household income is higher for low-income households than for high-income. Both findings reveal the regressivity of the measure; therefore, the management of the tax collection is considered crucial to counteract its negative effect. A significant contribution of this study is the estimation of the possible effects that the current tax reform will produce by applying a 25 cent per liter sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Under this scenario, we can conclude that results will be superior, as well as the regressivity will be stronger.
Efectos de la persuasión sobre las actitudes hacia diseños de anuncios publicitarios para una cerveza en jóvenes de 18 a 25 años de la ciudad de Cuenca
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-06-08) Macas Baculima, Juan Pablo; Zhañay Loza, Karla Doménica; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
Nowadays, many companies allocate strong monetary resources to create advertising content that manages to persuade the market and generate positive attitudes towards their brand. The present research seeks to provide a testable perspective on the generation of attitudes towards the brand and the advertisement in university students between 18 and 25 years of age, by using the assumptions of the theoretical Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). The research design is adjusted to a quasi-experiment in which the aim is to know the attitudinal behavior through the level of involvement (high - low) and the type of advertisement (rational - emotional) developed for the “Ancla” beer brand that is in the process of launching. To measure this behavior, a survey is used, made up of pairs of adjectives classified into: evaluation of the advertisement, strength of the arguments, purchase intention and attitude towards the brand, which are proposed by several authors. Through the application of the Chi- Square statistic and Spearman's Rho Coefficient, an association between the level of involvement and the attitude evaluation scales can be seen. On the other hand, with the Mann- Whitney U statistic, a significant difference is established within the emotional type announcement and the level of involvement. As a complement to the aforementioned results, significant values were observed when analyzing occupation and gender among students.
El rol de la riqueza y la educación sobre el riesgo de sobrepeso y obesidad: análisis para el Ecuador mediante las encuestas ENSANUT para 2012 y 2018
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-09-20) Chuqui Mainato, Cristian Joseph; Vanegas Espinosa, Tania Sofía; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
According to figures from the World Health Organization, overweight and obesity have almost tripled worldwide since 1975. In the face of the alarming situation, in this paper we study the independent and combined effects of wealth quintile and level of education on the risk of overweight and obesity. For this, we use the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) for 2012 and 2018. Using probability models, we find that wealth constitutes an obesogenic factor, while the level of education generates a protective effect. The interaction of these factors showed that this protective effect is greater in the high wealth group, therefore, people in this group who have better levels of education are less exposed to this pathology. In addition, the risk of suffering from this condition increases with age, being a woman, living in an urban area, being in a relationship, and belonging to the Coast region and Galápagos. In addition, the indigenous ethnic group is the one with the lowest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the country. Given these findings, we conclude that the country is at a stage where the social distribution of overweight and obesity affects the high wealth group and shows no signs that this situation is reverting to the low wealth group. Finally, we suggest that public policies should focus on the formation of healthy habits in people, and not so much on restrictive policies on the supply side that have not achieved the desired success over the years.
Estimación de la demanda de bebidas no alcohólicas en Ecuador
(2020) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Sarmiento Jara, Juan Pablo
This paper explores the potential effects of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as a public health policy in Ecuador by estimating the own, cross-price and income elasticities of non-alcoholic beverages at household level. We estimated a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) and found that, contrary to soft drinks, the consumption of soda is elastic. This revealed to be independent of the household income level. It was also found a substitution relationship between soda drinks and dairy drinks. Thus, taxation of soda drinks could decrease its consumption and direct it to healthier alternatives.
Factores determinantes de la felicidad en América Latina durante el periodo 2001-2017
(2020-01-14) Banegas Báez, José Andrés; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
The purpose of this article is to analyze the individual and contextual factors that determine the level of personal happiness. Data for the period 2001-2017 with a biennial periodicity in fifteen Latin American countries is used through the application of a multilevel ordered logistic model with random intercepts. At the individual level, the results show that education, religion, trust in justice, being married, working in the public or private sectors, home ownership and subjective income are positively related to happiness. It is also observed, the statistical non-significance of sex. On the other hand, at the contextual level, no constant effects were found along time, except for the variables trade and government effectiveness. The former influences happiness positively, while the latter has an opposite effect, which is attributed to its link with corruption in this region.
Género, rasgos conductuales y la elección de carrera: Evidencia experimental en Cuenca, Ecuador
(Universdidad de Cuenca, 2023-06-02) Fajardo Chaca, Esteban Adrián; Tigre Ochoa, Fernanda Abigail; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
Gender differences in competitiveness are often analyzed as a possible explanation for the gender gap in education and the labor market. This study analyzes gender differences in competency preferences, confidence, and risk aversion and whether these measures explain gender differences in the choice of university careers. An experiment and a questionnaire were applied to 600 second-year high school students from 19 public schools in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. We found that men are eager to compete, while women seem to shy away from competition, this is partly explained because women are less confident and more risk averse than men, and we also find that the lower the perception of mathematical difficulty, the more they will choose to compete. The gender differences found in choosing a STEM career are attributed to sex, the expected income and the perception of mathematical difficulty presented by the students.
Mentalidad de crecimiento en estudiantes de primero de bachillerato de Instituciones Educativas Públicas de la zona urbana del cantón Cuenca, 2023
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2024-03-24) Bravo Ruiz, Sofía Alejandra; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
Mindset is a characteristic of non-cognitive human capital that can define not only students' academic success, but lifelong success. If a student has a Fixed Mindset, he will be limited in his academic development and could even drop out of his studies, while a student with a Growth Mindset will be motivated to overcome difficulties through new study strategies or by asking for help. The latter is a characteristic desired in students so that they can more easily overcome academic difficulties and socioeconomic structural problems. This research sought to implement an experimental design to promote the growth mindset in first-year high school students with “insufficient” and “elementary” academic achievements from 27 public educational institutions located in the urban area of the Cuenca canton. After this, the impact on the type of mindset of the students was measured pre and post experiment to relate it to socioeconomic and educational indicators through statistical tests. It was found that initially the students had a mixed mindset, which after the experiment had a statistically non-significant positive change towards a growth mindset. Furthermore, it was found that residence in a rural area is negatively associated with the students' mindset. On the other hand, the mother's educational level and the average monthly household income are positively related to the students' mindset, that is, the higher the mother's level of education/average household income, the higher the mindset value will be, leading them towards a growth mindset.
Provisión de información del retorno y costo económico de la educación y su impacto en las aspiraciones educativas: evidencia desde un experimento aleatorio controlado en Cuenca, Ecuador
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-03-06) Castro Chamba, Jordan Richard; Chamba Valarezo, Jennyfer Lizeth; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
In this research, we conducted a randomized controlled experiment that provided information about the return and economic cost of college to 832 second-year high school students in 25 public schools in Cuenca, Ecuador. We find that students tend to overestimate the return and underestimate the cost of education. After experiment, we find an update of the beliefs of return and educational cost and an increase in educational aspiration. Providing return information increased college aspiration and college cost information increased aspiration for technological level. In addition, we find that some sociodemographic characteristics increase educational aspiration, such as being a woman, coming from high-income households, having parents with a university education, and high academic performance. As for our analysis of behavioral factors, students with higher levels of confidence and lower present bias are more likely to pursue college education. While students who assume higher levels of risk tend to aspire to a technology.
Qué motiva la decisión de separar los residuos sólidos en la fuente?: un análisis de diversas dimensiones del comportamiento de los hogares en la zona urbana de la ciudad de Cuenca – Ecuador
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2020-10-21) Ríos Cali, Edith Mireya; Rubio Delgado, Nicole Paulina; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
The purpose of this project is to develop an explicative model of the main determinants of the decision to separate household waste of urban households in Cuenca, Ecuador through a survey. For this, two processes are carried out. First, the PLS-SEM model based on the TPB, NAM and ABC theories; and second, the probability of the decision to separate inorganic and organic waste is estimated using two probit models. The findings show for organic and inorganic separation, attitude is the only internal psychological factor that positively influences the decision to separate. Furthermore, all external psychological factors are significant in the separation of inorganic waste such as the separation cost, the government stimulus and government intervention, the latter being irrelevant in the separation of organic waste. Also, the probit estimates reveal that educational level positively influences both models, individually, sex influences inorganic separation, while age influences organic separation. And finally, regarding waste management variables, knowledge of fines and the use of the reusable bag are significant in the separation of organic and inorganic waste.
The business cycle in Ecuador: an analysis of stylised facts before and after dollarisation
(2023) Pozo Rodríguez, Santiago Estuardo; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Vanegas Espinosa, Tania Sofia
This study examines stylised facts related to the business cycle in Ecuador for the period of 1990–2019. To reflect on the dollarisation process that the country went through by the end of 1999, the analysis is conducted for two sub-periods: 1990–1999 and 2000–2019. The paper investigates a wide range of macroeconomic variables for Ecuador, including variables regarding demand, the labour market, nominal variables, and variables related to an open economy. The sensitivity of correlations is studied through two detrending techniques: 1) the modified Hodrick-Prescott (MHP) filter; 2) a Hodrick-Prescott filter with a smoothing parameter of 1,600. The results reveal substantial changes in the cyclical behaviour of the Ecuadorian economy under dollarisation. In particular, the country shows greater dependence on the international market and high vulnerability to demand shocks.
The determinants of subjective well-being in a developing country: the ecuadorian case
(2020) Pontarollo, Nicola; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
The Author(s). In this study, we identify some individual and contextual factors potentially affecting subjective well-being in developing countries and check their effect in the Ecuadorian case. Ecuador is an oil country where attempts have been made to overcome deep social and territorial inequalities by placing human well-being at the core of public policy through the National Plan for Good Living. By means of ordinary least squares and ordered logit with clustered standard errors, as well as multilevel ordered logit models, we find that oil-dependent territories negatively affect well-being. Moreover, women and indigenous people report lower well-being, while personal income, education, housing quality, institutional trust, health insurance and social relationships can improve it. From a policy perspective, we find that basic unmet needs still need to be fulfilled to increase well-being, and further improvements of the institutional framework, redistributive system and inclusion policies are required. In this respect, we observe that Good Living-based policy accurately addresses these elements and, therefore, has great potential for application in other countries with similar characteristics.
The effects of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages in Ecuador: an analysis across different income and consumption group
(2020) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Sarmiento Jara, Juan Pablo; Carchi, Darwin
To analyze the effects of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Ecuador, this study estimates a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System model using data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Income and Expenditure for Urban and Rural Households. We derive own- and cross-price elasticities by income quintiles and consumption deciles for five beverages, including two types of sugary drink: (i) milk, (ii) soft drinks, (iii) water, (iv) other sugary drinks, and (v) coffee and tea. Overall, results show that a 20% increase in the price of SSBs will decrease the consumption of soft drinks and other sugary drinks by 27% and 22%, respectively. Heterogeneous consumer behavior is revealed across income and consumption groups, as well as policy-relevant complementarity and substitution patterns. Policy impacts are simulated by considering an 18 cents per liter tax, implemented in Ecuador, and an ad-valorem 20% tax on the price. Estimated tax revenues and weight loss are larger for the latter. From a health perspective, high-income and heavy consumer households would benefit the most from this policy. Our study supports an evidence-based debate on how to correctly design and monitor food policy.
The Multifaceted Dimensions of the Wage Gap in Ecuador
(2023) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
This study examines the determinants of wage gap differences based on gender, ethnicity, and area of residence (urban vs. rural) in Ecuador for the years 2007 and 2017. By combining the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition with unconditional quantile regression, we identify the extent to which the wage gap between two groups is due to characteristics (endowment) or unexplained factors at various points of the distribution, i.e. for low-, medium- and high-income workers. Results show that, on average, the gender and ethnic wage gap in 2017 increased slightly with respect to 2007, while the area wage gaps remained stable. However, progresses have mainly benefited those at the top of the income distribution, while disparities have widened for those at the bottom. As regards endowment effects, education mainly explains area and ethnicity wage gaps, while there is an important unexplained part that contributes more to gender wage differentials.
Unveiling the internal migration dynamics in Ecuador between 2001 and 2010
(2019) Pontarollo, Nicola; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
This paper unveils the dynamics of internal migration in Ecuador using data from the last two census. The use of chord diagrams allows one to identify the changing patterns of migration between provinces. In the last period, internal migration decreased notably, and traditional destination provinces lost importance in favour of a more balanced redistribution of people within the country.