Cumulative and Relative Disadvantage as Long-Term Determinants of Negative Self-feelings Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We analyze the longterm effects of neighborhood poverty and crime on negative selffeelings of young adults. Cumulative and relative disadvantage explanations are tested with the interactive effect of (1) neighborhood and individuallevel economic disadvantage and (2) neighborhood crime and economic disadvantage. Results from a longitudinal study following adolescents to young adulthood show that the development of negative selffeelings (a combination of depression, anxiety, and selfderogation) is determined by relative, rather than cumulative disadvantage. The poor in affluent neighborhoods have the highest negative selffeelings, while the relatively wealthy in poor neighborhoods have the lowest negative selffeelings. Similarly, we find the highest increase in negative selffeelings is found in an affluent neighborhood with crime and not in a poor neighborhood with crime.

published proceedings

  • SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

author list (cited authors)

  • Pals, H., & Kaplan, H. B.

citation count

  • 6

complete list of authors

  • Pals, Heili||Kaplan, Howard B

publication date

  • February 2013

publisher