For Social Panorama of Latin America, the main challenge is to foster a more in-depth examination of social gaps and the mechanisms that reproduce or decrease them. The previous edition of Social Panorama homed in on inequality gaps and their intergenerational reproduction and paid particular attention to the formative years of individuals, their transition to adult life and the role of social expenditure and transfers in meeting the needs of new generations during their early years. It showed how the life cycle path is determined by differences in skill development and how inequality and poverty become entrenched as people move from one stage of life to the next. The 2011 edition of Social Panorama of Latin America takes a more in-depth look at the chain that produces and reproduces social gaps; it addresses other spheres as well.
