We empirically evaluate two competing explanations about how the dispersion of income within social groups affects household spending on visible goods. Using South African household expenditure data, we find evidence that precisely the reverse of the effect predicted by Charles et al. (2009)...

The scope and extent of home-based businesses and the determination of the method by which the greater portion of household income is generated, in poor neighbourhoods, is the crux ofthis study.The study was undertaken among the 2245 households in the Kleinvlei sub-economic housing area located...