Inequality: the enemy between us Kate E Pickett, PhD FRSA FFPH

Inequality: the enemy between us

Kate E Pickett, PhD FRSA FFPH

Fig 1 All cause mortality in children aged 0-14 years in European countries (three year moving average)10.

Wolfe I et al. BMJ 2011;342:bmj.d1277

©2011 by British Medical Journal Publishing Group

The UNICEF Index of Child Well-being, 2007

Child Well-being is Better in More Equal Rich Countries

Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk

Child wellbeing and income inequality in US States

Correlations and p-values Income inequality Average income

Foundation for Child Development 25-item index 0.43

(0.002)

-0.61

(<0.001)

Kids Count 10-item index (shown in graph) 0.51

(<0.001)

-0.53

(<0.001)

Child outcomes related to income inequality

• In rich countries– Infant mortality– Low birth weight– Overweight– Educational

achievement– Peer relations– Bullying– Teenage births– Social mobility

• In US states– Infant mortality– Low birth weight– Overweight– Educational

achievement– Mental health

problems– Teenage pregnancy– Juvenile homicides

More children are overweight in more unequal countries

Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009)

Source: Frank Elgar, in press

Income inequality and school bullying by 11-year-olds in 37 countries (r = .62)

www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level

Social mobility is lower in more unequal countries

0

5

10

15

Singlemothers

Low HighFather's social class

Infa

nt

de

ath

s p

er

10

00 England & Wales Sweden

0

5

10

15

Singlemothers

Low HighFather's social class

Infa

nt

de

ath

s p

er

10

00 England & Wales Sweden

Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk

Infant mortality rates by social class

Literacy Scores of 16-25 year olds by Parents' Education

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Parents' Education (years)

Lit

erac

y sc

ore

Sweden

Canada

United States

Source: Willms JD. 1997. Data from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment.

Why are children so sensitive to inequality?

• Effects of relative poverty on material resources?

• Impact on family life and relationships?

• Direct experience of increased status differentiation?

Inequality affects family life & relationships

Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk

Inequality affects family life & relationships

Source: Bowles S, Park Y. Economic Journal 2005; 115 (507): F397–F412. 2005.

Iacoviello M. Household Debt and Income Inequality, 1963–2003. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 2008;40(5):929-65.

The Effect of Caste Identity on Children's Performance

Caste Unannounced

Caste Announced

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

High Caste

Low Caste

Num

ber

of m

azes

sol

ved

Source: Hoff K, Pandey P, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3351, June 2004

Status differentiation has a direct effect on cognitive performance

Inequalities become entrenched early in life

• Cognitive scores at 3 years of age (MCS)

• Children with the most educated parents 12 months ahead of those with the least educated parents

• Children in families with incomes below our poverty line had scores

about 8 months behind those with incomes above it

• White children about half a month ahead of the all-UK average, followed by children from a mixed ethnic background, about half a month behind

• Bangladeshi and Pakistani children lowest vocabulary scores, with averages around 35, characteristic of the lowest tenth in the population at large

http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk

Prenatal exposures have long-term effects

• PRENATAL STRESS– Alcohol– Nutrition– Cigarette smoke– Breastfeeding– BIRTH WEIGHT/GESTATION

Cardiovascular disease Diabetes Mental health/behaviour IQ and education Reproductive health Social status (marriage) Birth weight of next generation Health-related behaviours Birth weight of next generation

Postnatal exposures have long-term effects

• Poor attachment• Maternal depression• Breastfeeding• Poor parenting

Failure to thrive Mental health/behaviour IQ and education Social mobility Health-related behaviours

A mother who goaded her two toddlers to fight each other on video camera has received a 12-month suspended sentence, along with her mother and two sisters.

Zara Olver, 21, her 48-year-old mother Carole, and sisters Serenza Olver, 29, and Danielle Olver, 19, all admitted child cruelty at Plymouth Crown Court.

In the footage, a boy in a nappy was called a "wimp" for not hitting his sister back after she struck him.

The women laughed as the children hit each other with brushes and magazines.

But the footage was found by chance by the toddlers' father, on leave from the army, and he told social services.

The boy, aged two, is seen crying after being punched in the face by his three-year-old sister and is told by one of the four women in the room "not to be a wimp or a faggot" and to hit the girl back.

The court heard that, when interviewed by police, Carole Olver said: "I didn't see any harm in toughening them up - I done the same with my own children."

A two stage process: parental experiences of inequality shape child development

Parenting styles prepare children for the kind of social relations they may have to deal with in adulthood

Preparation for a society dependent on:- • trust, cooperation, reciprocity, empathy?

or:• fending for yourself, not trusting others?