Patterns Of Inequality Research Articles

Inequalities in sexual and reproductive outcomes among women aged 16–24 in England (2012–2019)

BackgroundWomen aged 16–24 in England have a high burden of sexual and reproductive morbidity, with particularly poor outcomes among people living in more deprived areas (including racially minoritised populations). This...

Quantum nonlocality phenomena in scalar and Dirac fields near a Schwarzschild black hole

In this work, we explore the impact of the Hawking effect on quantum nonlocality, specifically the maximum violation of the Bell-CHSH inequality, for both scalar and Dirac fields within Schwarzschild spacetime. We reveal the nuanced behavior of the Bell-CHSH inequality as the Hawking temperature (HT) varies. For scalar fields, we observe distinct degradation patterns in the Bell-CHSH inequality, influenced by the state parameter α and its normalized counterpart 1−α2 . In contrast, Dirac fields exhibit two distinct degradation trajectories, each converging to different nonzero minimum values as HT approaches infinity T→∞ , however, this does not apply to the maximally entangled state. Remarkably, the maximum violation of Bell-CHSH inequality becomes zero for scalar fields at infinite HT, while it stabilizes at a finite nonzero value for Dirac fields. Additionally, the quantum nonlocality robustness of the Dirac fields is stronger than that of the scalar fields. Therefore, this study enhances our understanding of the dynamic characteristics of nonlocality within scalar and Dirac fields near a Schwarzschild black hole.

Health insurance in the United States: A case of effectively maintained inequality?

The theory of Effectively Maintained Inequality (EMI) (Lucas, 2001) posits that goods have both quantitative (how much?) and qualitative (what kind?) dimensions. Coupled with the hypothesized mechanisms of EMI, this simple observation greatly complicates research and policy development concerning inequality. First applied to explain educational inequality in the United States, evidence for the theory has been found in education systems in over 20 countries, including Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Nigeria, South Africa, and South Korea. Yet, while EMI was proposed as a general theory of inequality, to date no research has assessed its applicability to domains outside education. This work uses nearly two decades of National Health Interview Survey data (N = 451,161) to provide the first effort to assess whether EMI illuminates patterns of inequality outside education, by taking up the issue of health insurance in the United States.

Changing patterns of inequality in Norway: the roles of gender, education, immigration and unions

Changing patterns of inequality in Norway: the roles of gender, education, immigration and unions

Teachers Challenging Language Discrimination in England’s Schools: A Typology of Resistance

ABSTRACT Recent media coverage and academic scholarship has repeatedly demonstrated that language discrimination is embedded and normalised in England’s schools. We consider language discrimination as a structural phenomenon underpinned by language ideologies which frame the language practices of racialised and working-class communities as deficient. In this article we report on project where we worked closely with a group of teachers who identified as critical, activist educators who were seeking to challenge language discrimination in their classrooms and wider institutions. Our data stems from in-depth interviews and case studies with teachers, where we explored their anti-language discrimination efforts at individual, departmental, and institutional levels. We present a typology for anti-language discrimination efforts, capturing the importance of teacher positionality and stance; research informed practice; community organising; locating local issues of language stigma within broader geopolitical patterns of inequality; individual classroom efforts, and institutional support for critical language work.

Long-term inequalities in health among older Mexican adults: An outcome-wide analysis

The relationship between socioeconomic level and health outcomes in older people has been widely studied, but less information about health inequalities associated with gender and place of residence exists. Also, there is scarce evidence of longitudinal inequalities, particularly in countries from the global south. This study aimed to describe the longitudinal patterns of health inequalities associated with wealth, gender, and residence area among older Mexican adults. We used data from two longitudinal studies in Mexico: The Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) and the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Three domains to characterize health inequities were used: wealth, gender, and rurality. We conducted an outcome-wide analysis with nine health indicators assessing older adults' physical and cognitive function. The Slope Index of Inequality and the Relative Index of Inequality were used as inequality measurements. Our results indicate that the greatest inequalities are observed in relation to wealth and gender. Older adults with lower socioeconomic status demonstrated higher rates of depression, sarcopenia, falls, and limitations in both basic and instrumental activities of daily living compared to their wealthier counterparts, with increasing trends in physical functionality over time. Furthermore, women experienced higher rates of depression, sarcopenia, frailty, and physical limitations compared to men. The only significant difference related to rurality was a lower rate of frailty among rural older adults. Longitudinal trajectories revealed an increase in the gap of inequality for various health indicators, especially in terms of wealth and gender. Health inequalities in old age are one of the greatest challenges facing health systems globally. Actions like universal coverage of health services for older people and the empowerment of individuals and their communities to have control over their lives and circumstances must be guaranteed.

Diversity and Inclusion in Regional Science Participation: Through the Lens of Data Mining

Despite increasing awareness of the need to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in regional science, it remains unclear how and to what extent underrepresentation exists in the field. In addition, although inequalities in science along these lines have been studied empirically across a wide range of fields and disciplines, they have yet to be examined specifically in the field of regional science per se. This study aims to fill this research gap by investigating the extent to which there are disparities in publication and citation rates based on race, gender and region, and how topic selection affects these differentials. To achieve this goal, we analyzed 4,930 bibliometric records for nine journals with an explicit regional science brand over the period from 1961 to 2021, we apply Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) technique regression modeling to assess how citation impact is affected by the gender, race, nationality of authors, topic selections, and other relevant factors. The results of this study provide evidence on patterns of inequality in regional science and help to understand the distribution of scientific productivity and impact by gender, race and origins. While the field is becoming more diverse and inclusive in terms publications and citations, significant gaps and disparities remains, especially regarding the Global South and minorities. We conclude with policy and programmatic recommendations for promoting broader participation in regional science in the future.

Recruitment of Volunteers with Immigrant Backgrounds: The Impact of Structural and Individual Aspects

Volunteering is associated with health-promoting benefits for both recipients and volunteers and may contribute to a more inclusive society. However, studies have shown a persistent pattern of social inequality among those who volunteer, and immigrants participate as volunteers less than the majority population. To date, approaches for recruiting immigrant populations have not been sufficiently examined, even though multicultural societies are becoming increasingly diverse. This study investigates how recruitment is carried out in voluntary organizations and how volunteers who are involved in recruitment reflect on the inclusion of citizens with immigrant backgrounds. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 volunteers and three employees with recruitment responsibility at five voluntary organizations engaged in welfare and community-related activities in a semirural district in Norway. Our findings show that different structural factors and individual aspects of the recruiter influence the recruitment of immigrants as volunteers. Large-scale organizations are more professionalized and more directed by fundings and frameworks and demand more qualifications due to their volunteer tasks. This might make inclusive recruitment more challenging. Small-scale organizations have more flexibility and less professionalized volunteer activities, making recruitment more inclusive. In addition, if the small-scale organizations are minority driven, it seems to positively influence the recruitment of immigrants through increased diversity sensitivity and more connections with immigrants through their social network.

Analysis of Digital Literacy Sources to Identify The Relationship Between Population Income, Socio-Economic and Subjective Well-Being

This research aims to analyze income inequality and subjective welfare in a region. This study uses microdata from household surveys to calculate income inequality. We conducted this survey using an identical questionnaire with a sample of adults. The sample size is around 100. One of the main findings of this study is that regions that were traditionally considered to have greater inequality no longer have this attribute when compared to regional and global levels. This reflects a shift in the pattern of inequality in the region. A positive correlation was also found between income inequality and subjective well-being, as well as a curve when comparing subjective well-being inequality with products. These results suggest that there is a complex relationship between these factors in the context of inequality. However, when compared with the level of subjective well-being, there is a very negative relationship, which may indicate an individual's preference to live in areas that are more egalitarian in terms of well-being. This indicates that subjective well-being perceptions are also influenced by factors other than income, such as access to facilities and services. Although these results are interesting, it is important to remember that this study has problems and limitations in terms of the survey and methods used. Therefore, these results should be interpreted with caution and can serve as a basis for further research to understand more deeply the relationship between income inequality, subjective well-being, and other factors that influence perceived well-being.

European Family Patriarchy in the Past and Contemporary Developmental Inequalities

This paper aims to show that contemporary developmental outcomes in Europe vary with historical patterns of age and gender inequality. It builds on the authors' earlier work constructing the Patriarchy Index (PI), which measures age and gender inequality within households based on historical census data. The claimed relationships are tested in a regression framework in which the outcome variables are a set of development indicators (GDP per capita and the HDI), as well as contemporary gender equality indices such as the GII and the SIGI and survey responses from the WVS. The study shows that high scores on the PI consistently predict worse development outcomes (lower development, more gender inequality) and more collectivist values scores. To assess the channels through which this correlation works, we also examine whether the PI itself is persistent, and find that the historical PI is also generally associated with important facets of patriarchal behaviour in the present. Overall, while our study cannot infer causal relationships, our results provide evidence that familial patriarchal patterns at the grassroots of society may be one of the variables associated with contemporary cultural and developmental divergences in Europe.

Understanding older adults' travel behaviour and mobility needs during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of the hierarchy of travel needs: a systematic review

Abstract The aim of this article is to critically review the scientific literature about the changes in travel behaviour and mobility amongst older adults caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across various countries, identify unmet travel needs and highlight patterns of inequalities in older adults' mobility. We have collected articles from four academic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Transportation Research International Documentation (TRID) and Web of Science. Papers were considered for inclusion if they were published online in 2020 or later, written in English, and referred to urban or rural changes in travel behaviour and mobility of older adults over 50 years old. We examined the pre-existing models developed before the outbreak and classified the articles based on Musselwhite and Haddad's hierarchy of older adults' travel needs. The synthesis of the selected 25 articles shows a general decline in literal mobility amongst older adults, an increased share of virtual travel and their decreased capacity to fulfil different levels of travel needs. Findings also indicate an increased gap in older adults' mobility across geographical regions with various levels of transport infrastructure and digital capital. We conclude the paper with the lessons learned, the opportunities ahead, and the challenges that must be overcome to achieve sustainable development and the United Nations Decades of Healthy Ageing goals in the post-pandemic world.

Intersectional inequalities: How socioeconomic well-being varies at the intersection of disability, gender, race-ethnicity, and age

Building on calls to integrate disability as an axis of stratification within sociological research, particularly within intersectional analyses of inequality, this study documents the scope of socioeconomic inequities at the intersection of multiple, entwined systems of stratification. Using data from the 2008–2019 American Community Survey (n = 19,506,716), I provide evidence of inequalities in poverty and unemployment at the intersection of disability, gender, race-ethnicity, and age. Findings highlight how disabled Black and AIAN men and women across age groups experience significantly heightened socioeconomic disadvantage. Study findings provide essential context for understanding how multiple, interlocking systems of inequality work together to produce and maintain intersectional inequalities in socioeconomic well-being. By examining the scope of socioeconomic inequities at the intersection of disability, gender, race-ethnicity, and age, this study uncovers patterns of relational inequalities that can be translated into policies and structural changes to transform power relations and promote disability and economic justice.

GENDER INEQUALITY AND HEALTH: A STUDY OF ELDERLY IN ALIGARH CITY

Women are more susceptible to unjust treatment, discrimination, and denial of fundamental human rights such as survival, education, health, inheritance, etc. due to social factors such as male domination and their subordinate status. Women experience two distinct disadvantages in the aging population due to gender-based roles and stereotypes. As a result, they are treated poorly in society. While aging is unavoidable, its gendered inequalities are not. Gender greatly impacts both mens and womens health in India. This in turn affects a persons susceptibility to illness and likelihood of experiencing health problems. The present study is both primary and secondary in nature. This paper tried to analyse the social and health issues faced by the elderly and examine gender-based inequalities in healthcare among the elderly in a selected area of Aligarh City in India and suggest ways to promote gender equality among the elderly by challenging the established pattern of inequality in health. KEYWORDS: Elderly, Gender, Health, Aging

Social Implications, Environmental Sustainability and a Manifesto of Action: A Study of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si

Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si addresses the socio-economic implications of environmental degradation and advocates for transformative action to address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social injustice. This abstract presents a synthesis of the encyclical’s key themes and proposes a manifesto of action inspired by its call to care for our common home. This work underscores the intrinsic link between social and ecological concerns, highlighting how environmental degradation disproportionately impacts the poor and marginalized. The encyclical critiques the dominant paradigm of consumerism and unlimited growth, which prioritizes profit over people and perpetuates patterns of exploitation and inequality. Pope Francis calls for a radical shift in values and priorities, advocating for an integral ecology that recognizes the interdependence of all living beings and promotes the common good. Often regarded as a manifesto of action, Laudato Si proposes concrete steps to address the root causes of environmental degradation and social injustice. It calls for the implementation of policies that promote ecological integrity, equitable distribution of resources, and inclusive decision-making processes. It urges businesses to adopt sustainable practices and prioritize the well-being of workers and communities over short-term profits. It calls on individuals to reduce their ecological footprint, support sustainable alternatives, and advocate for systemic change

Gambling in a U.S. Census Matched Sample: Examining Interactions between Means and Motives in Predicting Problematic Outcomes

The influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on risk of Problem Gambling (PG) is complex, particularly given recent evidence that SES should be understood in both objective and subjective terms. Likewise, financial gambling motives have been found to be predictive of PG; however, financial motives are less understood in comparison to other gambling motives. Preliminary findings on SES and gambling points towards a pattern of social inequality in which those with the least financial resources (e.g., income) or that feel financially deprived relative to others (e.g., perceived deprivation) experience greater harm and problems. In a weighted, census matched sample of adults in the U.S. (N = 1,348), the present study examined the interaction between financial gambling motives and income and financial gambling motives and perceived deprivation in predicting PG. Findings provided support for both financial gambling motives and perceived deprivation as robust predictors of PG. Further, results provided unique insights into the role subjective economic standing may play in the relationship between financial motives for gambling and risk of PG.

Challenges of empowering gender equality in the small and medium enterprises of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This article explores the multifaceted challenges of fostering gender equality within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan, with a detailed examination across the insurance, IT, marketing, and automotive sectors. Employing regression analysis, the study meticulously investigates the influence of gender on several professional dimensions: leadership roles, salary disparities, and marital status. The findings reveal distinct patterns of gender inequality across the industries. In the insurance sector, female leaders are notably compensated less than their male counterparts, highlighting a direct salary gap influenced by gender. The IT industry is characterized by a pronounced shortage of female professionals, attributed to prevailing stereotypes regarding gender suitability for technical roles. Although the marketing industry exhibits a comparatively smaller wage gap, it still struggles with underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. The most stark inequality is observed in the automotive industry, where women not only receive lower salaries but are also subjected to diminished professional privileges, underpinned by perceptions questioning their capabilities. The study underscores the critical need for targeted interventions by both the government and corporate sectors to mitigate these disparities. It advocates for the implementation of comprehensive measures, including specialized training programs for female leaders, alongside policies that ensure equitable pay and opportunities. This research contributes to the broader discourse on gender equality, urging for a strategic and collaborative approach to dismantle the systemic barriers that women face in Kazakhstan's SME landscape.

Social origins and educational attainment: The unique contributions of parental education, class, and financial resources over time.

This study examines the unique contributions of parental wealth, class background, education, and income to different measures of educational attainment. We build on recent sibling correlation approaches to estimate, using Norwegian register data, the gross and net contribution of each social origin dimension across almost 3decades of birth cohorts. Our findings suggest that parental education is crucial for all measures of children's educational outcomes in all models. In the descriptive analyses, we find that while broad education measures remain stable or decrease over time, attaining higher tertiary education and elite degrees is more stable or increasingly dependent on family background, especially parental financial resources. While gross sibling correlation models show somewhat decreasing trends in the contribution of education in all measures of educational outcomes, net models show that the unique contributions of financial resources have increased over time. Our results lend some support to the idea of education as a positional good and suggest that educational inequalities reflect broader patterns of inequality in society. Our results further indicate that the importance of parental education and cultural capital for children's education can be explained by within-resource transmission but that pro-educational norms tied to wealth may play an increasingly important role in educational mobility. In summary, this study sheds light on the multidimensional nature of social origins and highlights the role of different factors in shaping educational outcomes over time.

Institutionalizing Inequality: Field Conditions, Institutional Belonging, and the Distribution of Identities

The institutionalization of inequality represents an important research focus in various strands of the social sciences. Much theory has emerged within organizational studies and economic sociology, and within intersectionality research. However, there has, as yet been only limited work on the micro-processes by which institutions create and perpetuate inequality at the individual level. This article addresses this issue in terms of a new conceptual model that combines institutional theory on field conditions and Amartya Sen’s capability approach. We describe how inequality is institutionalized in terms of the distribution of identity positions and opportunities at the individual level. Specifically, we suggest that the institutionalization of inequality is a product of various types of institutional belonging that leads to (cumulated) disadvantaged identity positions for the individual. Our work connects Senian theory on conversion factors, multiple identities, and opportunity with established organization theory on fields and institutionalization processes to offer news insights into how patterns of inequality persist and may change.

Changes in disease burden and global inequalities in bladder, kidney and prostate cancers from 1990 to 2019: a comparative analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2019

BackgroundBladder, kidney and prostate cancers make significant contributors to cancer burdens. Exploring their cross-country inequalities may inform equitable strategies to meet the 17 sustainable development goals before 2030.MethodsWe analyzed age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years (ASDALY) rates for the three cancers based on Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019. We quantified the inequalities using slope index of inequality (SII, absolute measure) and concentration index (relative measure) associated with national sociodemographic index.ResultsVaried ASDALY rates were observed in the three cancers across 204 regions. The SII decreased from 35.15 (95% confidence interval, CI: 29.34 to 39.17) in 1990 to 15.81 (95% CI: 7.99 to 21.79) in 2019 for bladder cancers, from 78.94 (95% CI: 75.97 to 81.31) in 1990 to 59.79 (95% CI: 55.32 to 63.83) in 2019 for kidney cancer, and from 192.27 (95% CI: 137.00 to 241.05) in 1990 to − 103.99 (95% CI: − 183.82 to 51.75) in 2019 for prostate cancer. Moreover, the concentration index changed from 12.44 (95% CI, 11.86 to 12.74) in 1990 to 15.72 (95% CI, 15.14 to 16.01) in 2019 for bladder cancer, from 33.88 (95% CI: 33.35 to 34.17) in 1990 to 31.13 (95% CI: 30.36 to 31.43) in 2019 for kidney cancer, and from 14.61 (95% CI: 13.89 to 14.84) in 1990 to 5.89 (95% CI: 5.16 to 6.26) in 2019 for prostate cancer. Notably, the males presented higher inequality than females in both bladder and kidney cancer from 1990 to 2019.ConclusionsDifferent patterns of inequality were observed in the three cancers, necessitating tailored national cancer control strategies to mitigate disparities. Priority interventions for bladder and kidney cancer should target higher socioeconomic regions, whereas interventions for prostate cancer should prioritize the lowest socioeconomic regions. Additionally, addressing higher inequality in males requires more intensive interventions among males from higher socioeconomic regions.

Women in the ICT Sector in European Union States: Facing Gender Inequalities

This paper aims to investigate the patterns of gender inequalities in the Information and Communication (ICT) sector in European Union (EU) countries. Based on secondary data from Eurostat, a cluster analysis has been conducted to identify clusters of EU countries with various patterns of dependencies among the gender pay gap, female entrepreneurship, and employment in the ICT sector. Three clusters of EU countries have been identified with different patterns of the situation as regards women in this sector. In countries belonging to the first cluster, a higher level of gender pay gap coexists with the lowest share of female participation in the ICT sector and features the choice of entrepreneurship rather than employment. In countries of the second cluster, the lowest gender pay gap is observed together with an increase in female employment in the ICT sector as compared to the countries in the first cluster, and a higher share of employed women than entrepreneurs. In the countries of the third cluster, the moderate gender pay gap found therein is associated with the highest share of female ICT entrepreneurs, and is higher than the share of employed professionals. The discovery of the various patterns of the co-existence of the gender pay gap and women’s participation in the ICT sector reveal that the pay gap is rather the factor preventing women from entering this sector, as there is limited potential to push them towards entrepreneurship instead of paid employment. The authors’ results contribute to the theory of entrepreneurship and gender studies by investigating gender gaps in entrepreneurship and wages in the ICT sector as a primary sector.