The Effect of Age and Childhood Social Class on Preference for New Healthcare Practices

Abstract

ABSTRACTBourdieu theorized that habitus structures and is structured by experiences in the social world, with childhood experiences having the strongest influence. Habitus can yield rewards in specific fields through dispositions to enact certain practices. Healthcare provides an opportunity to assess how age and childhood social class interact to produce preferences in a changing field. Are people who developed their habitus in higher social classes as children more likely to report preferences that reflect new practices? Is there greater inequality at older ages? We find that parents’ educational attainment and occupational prestige does not have a direct effect on respondents’ preferences to be involved in their healthcare decisions. However, there is a significant interaction with age, with larger gaps by childhood social class among older respondents. Results suggest that when valued practices change, socially advantaged groups can most quickly adapt. The findings have implications for the replication of class inequality.