Cumulative inequality theory is the systematic explanation of how inequalities develop and influence the quality of life of societies, cohorts, and individuals. The theory [WL1] is principally a social scientific explanation of phenomena but with links to biological and health factors, personal adjustment, and well-being. A central premise is that “social systems generate inequality, which is manifested over the life course via demographic and developmental processes.” [S1]
Contents
Development and application
The ideas were developed by Kenneth Ferraro and colleagues as an integrative or middle-range theory [S2]. Originally specified in five axioms and nineteen propositions, cumulative inequality theory incorporates elements from the following theories and perspectives, several of which are related to the study of aging [WL2]:
In recent years, Ferraro and his colleagues have been testing and elaborating elements of the theory in studies on a variety of topics. Examples include how early misfortune affects personal adjustment [S10] and health [S11, S12] and the health consequences of women’s occupational experiences [S13]. Others have applied the theory to the study of long-term consequences of early adult overweight for midlife health and socioeconomic attainment [S14], the effect of childhood socioeconomic context on adult depression [S15], cumulative exposure to neighborhood context on health [S16], and social factors associated with inflammation in later life [S17].
Core ideas
According to Ferraro and Shippee [1], there are five main ideas in cumulative inequality.