Development Of Social Inequalities Research Articles

Stable isotope analysis and differences in diet and social status in northern Medieval Christian Spain (9th–13th centuries CE)

The Iberian Peninsula was at the forefront of the religious, economic, and political changes that swept across Europe during the Medieval Period, including the expansion of Christianity following the disintegration of the Umayyad Caliphate. Between the 9th and the 13th centuries CE, northern Iberia, in particular, witnessed a marked demographic and economic expansion that accompanied the emergence and development of different Christian Kingdoms. A growth in religious infrastructure driven by territorial expansion at the expense of Al-Andalus, and the emerging importance of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) from the 11th century CE, represented vital processes in changing urban networks and social stratification. However, shifting diets and social structures brought about by these changes require direct study beyond historical texts or localised osteoarchaeological and biomolecular studies in order to determine their wider impacts on peoples’ lived experience. Here, we apply radiocarbon dating (n = 6) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to bone and dentine collagen from various locations (n = 10) across the north and north-eastern areas of modern Spain, where three prominent Medieval Christian Kingdoms (Aragon, Castille and Navarre) developed. We sampled 40 human and 32 faunal remains dating to between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, including historical personages such as Sancho Ramirez, Count of Ribagorza and an illegitimate son of King Ramiro I of Aragon; Saint Raymond William or San Ramón de Roda; Pedro de Librana, the first bishop of the city of Zaragoza after its conquest by the Christians in the 12th century CE; an unknown princess from the royal house of Aragon; and individuals from the urban and rural nuclei of Pamplona, Logroño, Lobera de Onsella (Zaragoza), and San Roque de las Quintanillas (Burgos). We compared our results to existing data from the same area demonstrating clear differences in access to animal protein and marine/freshwater resources between rural, urban, and high social status populations on a regional scale. Our data show significant differences in δ15N values between the different groups, with the highest values seen among the ‘elite’, followed by urban populations who benefited from trade and socio-economic diversity. This dataset acts as an important reference point for future studies focusing on changes in the diet and health among different sectors of Medieval society and, in particular, the development of social inequality in the Christian Kingdoms of Iberia as they formed at the centre of novel cultural and religious exchanges across Europe.

Malthusian cycles among semi-sedentary Fisher-Hunter-Gatherers: The socio-economic and demographic history of Housepit 54, Bridge River site, British Columbia

Models in demographic ecology predict that populations in agrarian villages experience cycles of growth and decline as tied to relationships between founding population sizes, birth and mortality rates, habitat constraints, landscape productivity, and socio-economic practices. Such predictions should be equally applicable to fisher-hunter-gatherers. Intensive research at the Bridger River site on the Canadian Plateau has provided significant new insight into the dynamics of population growth and decline, subsistence productivity, cooperation, and development of social inequalities in material goods. In this paper, we present new evidence drawing from the fine-grained stratigraphic record of Housepit 54 to assess details regarding change in subsistence and technology as related to population and social dynamics. Results indicate a long and complex history characterized by two complete demographic cycles. Critically, the two subsistence downturns were managed using different tactics. Reduced local resources during the first period was likely managed with shorter stays in winter residences, somewhat more extensive use of the landscape, and continuation of egalitarian social relations. The second economic downturn followed a short-lived boom in resources and population growth that created extremely competitive social conditions. The subsequent downturn was managed by entrenched winter sedentism and likely social control of access to critical resources.

The genetic and environmental effects on school grades in late childhood and adolescence.

As academic achievement can have a major impact on the development of social inequalities we set out to explore how performance differences arise. Using data of the German twin study TwinLife, genetic and environmental effects on school grades in mathematics, German and the grade point average in two age cohorts (11 and 17 years old) were identified. Structural equation modelling on the data of 432 monozygotic and 529 dizygotic twin pairs as well as 317 siblings of the twins showed substantial genetic effects (up to 62%) in both cohorts on all three variables. Next to genetic influences, the twin-specific environment as well as non-shared environmental influences were found to explain the interindividual differences in mathematics and German as well as the grade point average. A cohort effect showing itself in higher heritability in the older cohort was found for mathematics and the grade point average but not for German. Moreover, we compared twins who were assigned to the same classroom to those twins who were assigned to different classrooms and found lower effects of the twin-specific shared environment in the latter group. Our study thereby contributes to the understanding of the etiology of interindividual differences in academic achievement in the numeracy and literacy domain in two age cohorts.

Educational upgrading, career advancement, and social inequality development from a life-course perspective in Germany

This article employs data from the adult cohort of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) to investigate the extent to which upgrading of educational credentials over the life course influences the social stratification of labour market outcomes. We argue that credentials upgrading should be an important predictor of both inter- and intragenerational mobility, especially in Germany where occupational and educational attainment are tightly linked. Indeed, we show that career progression in Germany is dependent upon re-enrolment into formal education and that changes in occupational status are hierarchically distributed across types and levels of educational upgrades. While much more persons of disadvantaged social background are at risk of upgrading, persons of advantaged backgrounds are both slightly more likely to upgrade and to upgrade to qualifications leading to the highest expected premiums. Despite these differences, educational upgrading does not alter the overall level of social stratification in occupational status attainment.

Widening inequalities in multimorbidity? Time trends among the working population between 2005 and 2015 based on German health insurance data

BackgroundPrevious research has produced evidence for social inequalities in multimorbidity, but little is known on how these disparities change over time. Our study investigates the development of social inequalities in multimorbidity among the middle-aged and older working population. Special attention is paid to whether differing time trends between socio-economic status (SES) groups have taken place, increasing or decreasing inequalities in multimorbidity.MethodsThe analyses are based on claims data of a German statutory health insurance company covering an observation period from 2005 to 2015. Multimorbidity prevalence risks are estimated using logistic generalized estimation equations (GEE) models. Predicted probabilities of multimorbidity prevalence are used to assess time trends in absolute social inequalities in terms of educational level, income, and occupational group.ResultsThe prevalence risks of multimorbidity rose among all SES groups and social gradients persist throughout the observation period, indicating significantly higher multimorbidity prevalence risks for individuals with lower SES. Widening absolute inequalities are found among men in terms of educational level and among women in terms of occupational groups.ConclusionsThe increases in multimorbidity prevalence among the working population are accompanied by widening social inequalities, pointing towards a growing disadvantage for men and women in lower SES groups. The rising burden and the increasing inequalities among the working population stress the importance of multimorbidity as a major public health concern.

Life Stages, Gender and Temporalities. Historical and Sociological Reflections

Research Framework: Long conducted in parallel, studies on life stages and gender have converged more in recent years, but still leave large areas uncovered. Some analyzes still treat sex as a simple variable that does not require problematization. Others lose sight of the fact that growing up and aging generate categories and trajectories that are the result of interactions of sex and age. The link between gender and age thus still needs to be tightened. Objectives: The introductory article of the issue " Life Stages, Gender and Temporalities" proposes to explore the interactions between age and gender relations by examining the gendered constructions of ages and the life trajectories structured by gender. Methodology: This article lists studies by sociologists and historians exploring gender/age links. Results: The articles presented help to show to what extent gender and age relationships overlap and interact in the development of social inequalities throughout the life of individuals. They also participate in questioning the social hierarchy which is "mechanically" based on gender and certain age-related markers. Conclusions: The joint analysis of gender and age relations is progressing, but slowly, and still remains in the blind spot of intersectional perspectives. While current research now recognizes gender and age as constantly interacting systems, it too seldom addresses the power relations and the cumulative inequalities they generate. Contribution: This introductory article opens up new research perspectives, both with regard to the gendered processes favouring the development of sexual physical characteristics and to the dominant social codes that shape heteronormative experiences and temporalities.

Modeling Gene-Environment Interactions With Quasi-Natural Experiments.

This overview develops new empirical models that can effectively document Gene × Environment (G×E) interactions in observational data. Current G×E studies are often unable to support causal inference because they use endogenous measures of the environment or fail to adequately address the nonrandom distribution of genes across environments, confounding estimates. Comprehensive measures of genetic variation are incorporated into quasi-natural experimental designs to exploit exogenous environmental shocks or isolate variation in environmental exposure to avoid potential confounders. In addition, we offer insights from population genetics that improve upon extant approaches to address problems from population stratification. Together, these tools offer a powerful way forward for G×E research on the origin and development of social inequality across the life course.

Early socioeconomic position and self-rated health among civil servants in Brazil: a cross-sectional analysis from the Pró-Saúde cohort study

ObjectivesAlthough there is evidence that socioeconomic conditions in adulthood are associated with worse self-rated health, the putative effect of early adverse life circumstances on adult self-rated health is not consistent....

Behavioral genetic studies of social inequalities

Individual differences in psychological traits are an important source for social inequalities in manifold ways. Explaining the development of social inequalities over the life course, requires not only to take into account social mechanisms but also genetic differences between individuals as well as the covariation and interaction of both types of influences and psychological processes mediating between the two. In this symposium social inequalities are examined from different perspectives: Riemann’s et al. contribution will provide an introduction to the symposium. Spinath et al. will focus on a series of studies on individual differences in skill formation and educational attainment. Johnson and colleagues contribute a sophisticated analysis of social mobility, and finally Kandler et al. analyze attitudes towards social inequality, which might be an important predictor of how societies deal with social inequalities.

Midiendo diferenciación en riqueza en el registro arqueológico: una propuesta aplicada en el área andina intermedia

Despite the abundance of literature on the role of economics in the development of social inequalities manyof the comparative studies on the topic have used multiple methodologies, even within the same study;or have employed inadequate variables to identify economic or social inequalities. This article describeschanges in the distribution of wealth at the communal scale, of three trajectories of social development inthe Intermediate Area (Mesitas, El Venado and HE-4) by using Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients. Thesemeasures allow an objective and comparable evaluation of societies with similar levels of social inequalityas inferred from burial practices. The results contribute to the discussion of the role of economic inequalityin the institutionalization of social inequalities (or vice versa). It is indicated that: a) the rates of economicinequality within a social developmental trajectory increase when social inequalities are materialized incontexts different from household consumption; b) egalitarian communities have similar levels of wealthdistribution, but they differ from the levels of wealth distribution of communities with materializedsocial inequalities, regardless of the mechanisms that led to the institutionalization of these inequalities.

Cyclical Cultural Trajectories

In this study, models of cultural evolution are used to examine one of most intensively studied archaeological areas in world: the central Mesa Verde region of southern Colorado (USA). I work back and forth between models in this case study to tease out new insights into culture change in the Mesa Verde region and to suggest ways that models of culture change can be improved. The results of a new research program, the Village Ecodynamics Project, are presented here and provide the most recent and refined account of settlement in the central Mesa Verde region. The study concludes that many factors contributed to culture change in the region, and it suggests that one factor has been overlooked in previous studies: the development of incipient social hierarchy. This study argues that the development of social inequality needs to be added to the mix of factors that produced culture change, especially immigration from the region during the tenth and thirteenth centuries. This study suggests that evolutionary models emphasizing cyclical change are more appropriate than unilinear models. A model of cyclical change that highlights the dimensions of demographic scale and the emergence of hierarchical social organization best describes the cultural trajectory of the Mesa Verde region.

Increasing Resource Inequality among Families in Modern Societies: The Mechanisms of Growing Educational Homogamy, Changes in the Division of Work in the Family and the Decline of the Male Breadwinner Model

Many social inequality studies in modern societies take an individualistic approach. They analyse men and women as individuals and neglect marriage patterns and familial relationships. This often implies that men and women are all alike, that there are no important differences within households, and that employment chances and risks within the family are based on gender-free considerations. This article draws on the empirical results of several international comparative research projects to examine the impact of changes in union formation, the division of labour in couples and rising uncertainty in male breadwinner incomes on the development of social inequality between families in modern societies. The empirical findings support the view that such inequalities have grown significantly in the past decades due to the increasing accumulation of resources within higher qualified couples over the life course. This result would not have become visible in individualistic mobility or labour market studies.

Life Courses in the Globalization Process: The Development of Social Inequalities in Modern Societies

This article examines the impact of the globalization process on individual life courses and employment careers in modern societies from an international comparative perspective. Empirical results are summarized from the GLOBALIFE research project (Life Courses in the Globalization Process), which studied the effects of globalization on life courses for the first time. As the results demonstrate, the globalization process has had diverse effects on different phases of the life course. Qualified men in their mid-careers are broadly protected from the effects of globalization, while young adults are the losers of the globalization process. We also find that educational and class characteristics determine the extent to which an individual faces increasing labour market risks. Under globalization, these effects have intensified. The results of the GLOBALIFE project thus indicate that globalization triggers a strengthening of existing social inequality structures. Another central finding is that globalization has not led to the same outcome across various modern societies. Globalization appears to be distinctly filtered by deeply embedded national institutions. These institutional packages entail diverse strategies of labour market flexibilization which themselves differentially shape patterns of social inequality in modern societies.

Housing and Its Influence on the Development of Social Inequalities in the Post-Communist Czech Republic

Housing and Its Influence on the Development of Social Inequalities in the Post-Communist Czech Republic

The Origins of the Neolithic Along the Atlantic Coast of Continental Europe: A Survey

The main aim of this work is to compare the processes of transition to the Neolithic along the Atlantic coasts of continental Europe. Archaeological data on the late Mesolithic and the early Neolithic in the best known regions (central and southern Portugal, Cantabrian Spain, Atlantic France, the shores of the North Sea, and southern Scandinavia) are discussed. The transition to the Neolithic in Atlantic Europe can be viewed as a relatively late phenomenon, with several interesting particularities. Among those, we point out the fundamentally indigenous character of the processes; the existence of a long availability phase, in which hunter-gatherer groups maintained contact with neighboring agriculturalists and probably were familiar with farming and animal husbandry without applying them in a systematic way; and the later development of megalithic monumental funerary architecture. Finally, the main hypotheses so far proposed to explain the change are contrasted with the available evidence: those that argue that the change derives from economic disequilibrium, and those that opt for the development of social inequality as the fundamental cause.