Characteristic Indexes of the Household Level and Standard of Living of Agregado and Parcelero Families

Abstract

This paper presents changes in the level and standards of living of agregado and parcelero families in Puerto Rico. The discriminant function technique was used to compute characteristic indexes of the material style of life attained at a given time or desired by both groups under study. The analyses showed that important changes have occurred in the levels of living of the agregado and the parcelero families, but the changes are more marked among the parcelero families. The analyses also identified intermediate stages in the level-of-living process. The agregados also appeared to be progressing through a lessadvanced phase in this process than the parceleros. An important conclusion from the study is that the SPA can point to some success in establishing conditions wherein levels of living have been raised among the parceleros.