Housing Inheritance and Inequality: A Response to Watt

1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Hamnett
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Housing Tenure ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
The North ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Unemployed

Paul Watt's (1993) response to my article ‘A nation of inheritors?’ (Hamnett, 1991) raises some interesting and worthwhile questions about the class basis of housing inheritance which I would like to address and clarify. To recapitulate briefly, my article attempted to assess the validity of Saunders's (1986, 1990) arguments regarding the importance of home ownership and housing inheritance in the creation of a new consumption cleavage independent of social class. Using data from a survey of beneficiaries I argued that although housing inheritance is distributed across the class spectrum, the incidence of inheritance is far greater amongst home owners, higher social classes and those living in southern Britain (where home ownership is longer established) than it is among council tenants, the lower social classes and those living in the north. I argued that there is nothing inherent in a person's social class, housing tenure or location which makes inheritance more likely. On the contrary, the determinants of housing inheritance are influenced by the social characteristics of dying home owners. Because the structure of inheritance reflects the structure of property ownership a generation ago, current differences in the incidence of inheritance will reflect the class and tenure characteristics of the dying population and their relationship to the class and tenure characteristics of beneficiaries. The incidence of housing inheritance is higher among home owners and those in higher social classes because their parents are more likely to have been home owners. I went on to argue that because home ownership has become much more widely spread across the class spectrum over the last 40 years (Hamnett, 1984), the incidence of housing inheritance in 30–40 years' time is likely to be more widely spread than it is today. Thus, I concluded that whilst Saunders' arguments regarding the distribution of house inheritance are not empirically supported today, they may be more so in 30–40 years' time. I argued, however, that although housing inheritance was likely to be more widespread in future than it is today, the children of tenants were unlikely to inherit. Given the growing social residualisation of the council sector I argued that ‘the less skilled, the low income and the unemployed’ were likely to be excluded from inheritance.

Are low-to-middle-income households experiencing food insecurity in Victoria, Australia? An examination of the Victorian Population Health Survey, 2006–2009

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Kleve ◽  
Zoe E. Davidson ◽  
Emma Gearon ◽  
Sue Booth ◽  
Claire Palermo
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Using Data

Food insecurity affects health and wellbeing. Little is known about the relationship between food insecurity across income levels. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and frequency of food insecurity in low-to-middle-income Victorian households over time and identify factors associated with food insecurity in these households. Prevalence and frequency of food insecurity was analysed across household income levels using data from the cross-sectional 2006–09 Victorian Population Health Surveys (VPHS). Respondents were categorised as food insecure, if in the last 12 months they had run out of food and were unable to afford to buy more. Multivariable logistic regression was used to describe factors associated with food insecurity in low-to-middle-income households (A$40000–$80000 in 2008). Between 4.9 and 5.5% for total survey populations and 3.9–4.8% in low-to-middle-income respondents were food insecure. Food insecurity was associated with limited help from friends, home ownership status, inability to raise money in an emergency and cost of some foods. Food insecurity exists in households beyond those on a very low income. Understanding the extent and implications of household food insecurity across all income groups in Australia will inform effective and appropriate public health responses.

scholarly journals Housing Expenditures and Income Poverty in EU Countries

2004 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
TONY FAHEY ◽  
BRIAN NOLAN ◽  
BERTRAND MÂITRE
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Poverty Measurement ◽  
Income Poverty ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Low Income Groups ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Cost

Previous research has suggested that hidden income arising from home ownership has important consequences for poverty measurement as it tends to favour certain low income groups, especially the elderly, and to have a moderating effect on poverty rates in countries with high levels of home ownership. This article explores both methodological and substantive aspects of this issue using data for 14 EU countries drawn from the European Community Household Panel Survey 1996. Methodologically, in the absence of data needed to estimate hidden income from housing directly, it explores the validity of using a housing expenditures approach to take account of the income effects of housing in a poverty measurement context. Substantively, it examines whether poverty measured in this way in the 14 countries in the data set differs in expected directions from poverty as conventionally measured. The substantive effects are found to be modest overall and to conform only partially to expectations. Certain methodological problems raise a question mark over these findings, such as variation across countries in the degree to which mortgage payments capture the cost of house purchase for home owners. The article concludes that the distributive effects of housing are important for poverty measurement but need to be better understood within each country before attempting cross-country analysis.

Epidemiology of Suicide and Parasuicide

1992 ◽  
Vol 6 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 291-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Platt
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Class V ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
The Social ◽  
Gas Poisoning ◽  
The Unemployed ◽  
Methods Of Suicide

The epidemiology of suicide (1970–1990) and parasuicide (1970–1989) in Great Britain is reviewed. A wide variation in suicide rates exists across Europe, and the rates in England and Wales fall considerably below the median. Although suicide accounted for only 0.7% of all deaths in 1990 in people aged over 15, it was the second most common cause of death among males aged 15–34 years. In 1990, the suicide rate for males was 19% above that in 1970, while in females the rate in 1990 was much lower than it had been during the 1970s. Male suicide rates exceed female rates in all 10-year age groups. The lowest rates of suicide in both sexes and in all age groups occur among married people, and the rates among semi-skilled (class IV) and unskilled (class V) manual workers are higher than those in the other four social classes. The leading methods of suicide are poisoning, hanging and domestic gas, though deaths by domestic gas poisoning had disappeared completely by 1990 with the detoxification of gas. Men use violent methods to a greater extent than women. Only two British centres, in Oxford and Edinburgh, have monitored episodes of hospital-treated parasuicide during the period of review. Both British cities have parasuicide rates greatly in excess of the European median. Between 1970 and 1989, annual parasuicide rates were higher for females than for males. Self-poisoning has been the predominant method used in parasuicide. Parasuicide is a behaviour mainly encountered during adolescence and young adulthood, and parasuicide rates decline with advancing age. The lowest rates of parasuicide are found among the married, and the highest among the divorced. A direct relationship exists between parasuicide and social class; the lower the social class, the higher the rate of parasuicide. The rates of parasuicide are considerably higher among the unemployed, with females at greater risk than males.

Social class differences in mortality in Great Britain around 1981

1988 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Haberman ◽  
D. S. F. Bloomfield
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Life Tables ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Class Differences ◽  
The Social ◽  
Occupational Mortality ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual

The Decennial Supplement on Occupational Mortality published in 1978 commented on mortality differences between the social classes (Chapter 8) using data from the 1971 Census and the deaths in the period 1970–72. The analysis was based on life tables prepared for the individual social classes from which derived indices, for example expectations of life, were calculated. It is proposed here to repeat this exercise using the data for males recently published in microfiche form by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys—OPCS. This time, the Decennial Supplement has omitted to provide an analysis and commentary and we propose to make some attempt to remedy this deficiency. In our analysis, the Decennial Supplement data have been supplemented by data from the OPCS Longitudinal Study.

scholarly journals How Does Social Class Affect Need for Structure during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Moderated Mediating Model Analysis

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 932
Author(s):  
Ting-Ting Rao ◽  
Shen-Long Yang ◽  
Xiaowen Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Pandemic Threat ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Practical Implications

The COVID-19 pandemic is profoundly affecting the minds and behaviors of people worldwide. This study investigated the differences in the need for structure among people from different social classes and the psychological mechanisms underlying this need, as well as the moderating effect of the threat posed by the pandemic. Using data collected from non-student adults in China, we found that the lower an individual’s social class, the lower their need for structure, and this effect was based on the mediating role of perceived control. However, the mediating effect was moderated by pandemic threat, and the above relationship existed only when this threat was low. When the level of pandemic threat was higher, neither the effect of social class nor of perceived control on the need for structure were significant. Specifically, in higher-threat situations, the need for structure among individuals from higher social classes and who had a higher sense of control increased significantly, meaning the mediating effect was no longer significant. This finding showed that under the threat of a pandemic, individuals who have a lower need for structure will still pursue and prefer structure and order. The theoretical and practical implications of the research are also discussed.

Social classes for women of differing marital status

1978 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Kingsley ◽  
John McEwan
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Social Characteristics

SummaryStudies involving collation of social characteristics of women frequently include statements about their social class designation and may compare groups in different classes against other variables. The method of making such a designation is very unsatisfactory and may lead to spurious conclusions arising from the method of classification.When designation is carried out by a method primarily concerned with married women's own occupations rather than those of their husbands, some of the apparent differences in distribution are lost. It is possible to examine married and unmarried women together if those in both groups work outside the home.Such considerations are particularly important in data relating to reproductive behaviour, such as abortion statistics and studies of births or the use of contraception.

scholarly journals Social Class, Group-Based Anger, and Collective Action Intentions in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Li ◽  
Yan Xu ◽  
Shenlong Yang ◽  
Yongyu Guo
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Class Group ◽  
Hubei Province ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Lower Social Class ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Subjective Social Class ◽  
The Relationship

This research examines the anger and collective action intentions among different social classes in China. Based on social cognition theory with respect to social class, we proposed that the relationship between group-based anger and collective action intentions would be moderated by social class. To test this hypothesis, two studies were conducted. First, using data collected from a sample of 100 residents of Hubei Province, China, Study 1 found that the relationship between group-based anger and collective action intentions was moderated by social class: group-based anger can predict collective action intentions among the upper social class but not among the lower social class. Then, Study 2 employed a 2 × 2 completely randomised design. Its 118 participants were manipulated to experience a momentary change in their subjective social class and the level of their group-based anger before measuring their collective action intentions. The results were consistent with Study 1. Taken together, the findings suggest that social class does moderate the relationship between group-based anger and collective action intentions.

Housing Tenure and Generational Equity

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hal. L. Kendig
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
The United States ◽  
Housing Tenure ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Generational Equity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Housing Costs ◽  
Financial Impacts

ABSTRACTHome ownership is one of the principal ways of redistributing income over the life cycle. Older people who have bought homes during their working years have a substantial asset which cushions the financial shock of reduced income in old age. But those who have never been able to buy can be hard pressed as housing costs continue at high levels. This article examines the financial impacts of home ownership on inter- and intra-generational equity in Australia, Britain and the United States. It begins by showing how access to home-ownership has been influenced by the opportunities available to different social classes in different periods of history. After identifying the financial situation of older owners and tenants, the discussion considers how public policies toward housing tenure further reduce age-related inequalities yet increase them within the aged. The transfer of housing resources from older to younger generations is shown to perpetuate inequalities between generations and lineages. The paper concludes by exploring the policy implications of the increasing diversity in the resources of older people, and their improved economic circumstances relative to younger generations over the decades ahead.

scholarly journals Wage-Setting Policies, Employment, and Food Insecurity: A Multilevel Analysis of 492 078 People in 139 Countries

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e8
Author(s):  
Aaron Reeves ◽  
Rachel Loopstra ◽  
Valerie Tarasuk
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Wage Setting ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Analysis Center ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Unemployed

Objectives. To examine the association between wage-setting policy and food insecurity. Methods. We estimated multilevel regression models, using data from the Gallup World Poll (2014–2017) and UCLA’s World Policy Analysis Center, to examine the association between wage setting policy and food insecurity across 139 countries (n = 492 078). Results. Compared with countries with little or no minimum wage, the probability of being food insecure was 0.10 lower (95% confidence interval = 0.02, 0.18) in countries with collective bargaining. However, these associations varied across employment status. More generous wage-setting policies (e.g., collective bargaining or high minimum wages) were associated with lower food insecurity among full-time workers (and, to some extent, part-time workers) but not those who were unemployed. Conclusions. In countries with generous wage-setting policies, employed adults had a lower risk of food insecurity, but the risk of food insecurity for the unemployed was unchanged. Wage-setting policies may be an important intervention for addressing risks of food insecurity among low-income workers. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 18, 2021: e1–e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306096 )

Neighborhood Satisfaction: A Study of a Low-Income Urban Community

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 1702-1730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Ciorici ◽  
Prentiss Dantzler
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Neighborhood Satisfaction ◽  
The North ◽  
Using Data

This article discusses the findings from a study on neighborhood satisfaction conducted within the North Camden neighborhood context. Using data from the 2011 North Camden Resident Satisfaction Survey, the study examined the subjective measures of neighborhood-level characteristics to identify the determinants of neighborhood satisfaction. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the quality of social networks, neighborhood physical conditions, neighborhood safety, and quality of public services are positively associated with neighborhood satisfaction. Surprisingly, the analysis showed that the extent of social networks and access to transportation have an inverse relationship with the satisfaction of residents with their neighborhood. The article discusses these findings and the way in which the results can inform practitioners about policies and programs that need to be developed and implemented to improve neighborhood satisfaction and, ultimately, individual and community well-being.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document