Cumulative Disadvantages in Latin America: Contributions and Challenges for Studying Inequality

The theory of cumulative advantages and disadvantages (CAD) has rarely been used in the study of social inequality in Latin America. However, it is a key concept for understanding their everyday expressions, some of their causal mechanisms, and the needed policies to reduce it. With this goal in mind, the author explores the theoretical roots of this concept, identifies and analyzes different cumulative processes, and critically systematizes the Latin American literature on this subject. The conclusion makes an evaluation of this journey and develops some potential lines of future research from this perspective. The article is a contribution to the theoretical and empirical academic production on this topic in Latin America.