Florencia Torche

Torche broadened the study of inequality with studies of social mobility, educational attainment, marriage patterns, and wealth distribution in Chile and Mexico when little was known about Latin American inequality. She also contributed important work on inequality in richer countries. Recent work has demonstrated the relevance of early life environments, including the in-utero environment, for immediate and subsequent life chances. Torche’s research combines diverse methodologies including statistical analysis, causal inference, experiments, natural experiments, and in-depth interviews. Much of her research uses an international comparative perspective. She conducted the first national surveys of social mobility in Chile and Mexico.