This report analyzes the evolution of poverty and inequality in the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) from 1986 to 1996, with projections to 1998. It reviews the policies which have been advocated and/or implemented to reduce poverty. And it provides a number of new research techniques. To achieve these results, the report combines: 1) the results of new empirical work using household surveys for 12 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela); b) short theoretical developments; and a review of the literature on issues related to poverty, inequality, and social policy in LAC, with a focus on the poverty assessments completed by the World Bank. The first two chapters are devoted to measuring poverty and inequality. The next four chapters examine the policies that help reduce poverty. In reviewing these polices, the report follows the framework proposed in the World Development Report 2000-2001. This framework identifies three essential elements for reducing poverty: Chapters 3 and 4 look at opportunities, as provided, among others, by broad-based economic growth and investments in human capital. Chapter 5 discuses security, as provided by social protection systems and safety nets. Chapter 6 focuses on empowerment, whereby the poor are given a voice and institutions take them into consideration.

This book identifies areas that represent new needs and opportunities for human factors research in the coming decades. It is forward-looking, problem oriented, and selectively focused on national or global problems, including productivity in organizations, education and training, employment and disabilities, health care, and environmental change; technology issues, including communications technology and telenetworking, information access and usability, emerging technologies, automation, and flexible manufacturing, and advanced transportation systems; and human performance, including cognitive performance under stress and aiding intellectual work.

This book describes the demographic, sociological, and ecological background of the aging society, identifies human factors problems associated with aging, summarizes currently relevant information, and recommends directions for research. It suggests a program of research and technology development for the purpose of ameliorating the effects of functional changes that accompany the aging process and provides a basis for additional research and application of human factors engineering data to the design of environments in which aging people must function.