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Contrasting lives, contrasting views? understandings of health inequalities from children in differing social circumstances

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  • Backett-Milburn, Kathryn
  • Cunningham-Burley, Sarah
  • Davis, John

Abstract

Children's differing socio-economic, cultural and familial circumstances and experiences are part of the pathways implicated in health and illness in adulthood. However, in the existing, mainly survey based, work children's own voices tend to be absent and adult-defined data about health and illness accumulated. Little is known about the social and cultural processes, in children's very different childhoods, which underpin and ultimately constitute these epidemiological findings. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study examining the socio-economic and cultural contexts of children's lifestyles and the production of inequalities in health, carried out in a large Scottish city. Two rounds of semi-structured interviews, using a range of child-friendly techniques (photographs, drawings, vignettes), were carried out with 35 girls and boys aged 9-12 years living in two contrasting but contiguous areas, one relatively advantaged and one relatively disadvantaged. Thirty of their parents were also interviewed and community profiling and observational work undertaken. Children and parents described often starkly contrasting lives and opportunities, regularly involving material differences. However, children appeared to locate inequalities as much in relationships and social life as in material concerns; in this their direct experiences of relationships and unfairness were central to their making sense of inequality and its impact on health. Although children from both areas highlighted several different inequalities, including those related to material resources, they also spoke of the importance of control over their life world; of care and love particularly from parents; of friendship and acceptance by their peer group. Many children challenged straightforward causal explanations for future ill-health, privileging some explanations, such as psychological or lifestyle factors. The accounts of children from both areas displayed considerable resilience to and downplaying of the effects of both relationship and material inequalities; also showing how familial and personal challenges, such as bullying, divorce, learning difficulties, cut across structurally based differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Backett-Milburn, Kathryn & Cunningham-Burley, Sarah & Davis, John, 2003. "Contrasting lives, contrasting views? understandings of health inequalities from children in differing social circumstances," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(4), pages 613-623, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:57:y:2003:i:4:p:613-623
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    Cited by:

    1. Fattore, Tobia & Fegter, Susann, 2019. "Children, social class and social practices: A theoretical analysis of children's practices of class distinction," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 67-75.
    2. Skattebol, Jen, 2011. ""When the money's low": Economic participation among disadvantaged young Australians," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 528-533, April.
    3. Davidson, Rosemary & Kitzinger, Jenny & Hunt, Kate, 2006. "The wealthy get healthy, the poor get poorly? Lay perceptions of health inequalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(9), pages 2171-2182, May.
    4. Rauscher, Emily & Friedline, Terri & Banerjee, Mahasweta, 2017. "We're not rich, but we're definitely not poor: Young children's conceptions of social class," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 101-111.
    5. Laura Camfield, 2010. "“Even If She Learns, She Doesn’t Understand Properly”. Children’s Understandings of Illbeing and Poverty in Five Ethiopian Communities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 96(1), pages 85-112, March.
    6. Nicolas Aguilar-Farias & Francisca Roman Mella & Andrea Cortinez-O’Ryan & Jaime Carcamo-Oyarzun & Alvaro Cerda & Marcelo Toledo-Vargas & Sebastian Miranda-Marquez & Susana Cortes-Morales & Teresa Balb, 2022. "Redrawing Cities with Children and Adolescents: Development of a Framework and Opportunity Index for Wellbeing—The REDibuja Study Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, April.
    7. Abby C. King & Feyisayo A. Odunitan-Wayas & Moushumi Chaudhury & Maria Alejandra Rubio & Michael Baiocchi & Tracy Kolbe-Alexander & Felipe Montes & Ann Banchoff & Olga Lucia Sarmiento & Katarina Bälte, 2021. "Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-29, January.
    8. Garthwaite, Kayleigh & Bambra, Clare, 2017. "“How the other half live”: Lay perspectives on health inequalities in an age of austerity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 268-275.
    9. Hannah Fairbrother & Nicholas Woodrow & Mary Crowder & Eleanor Holding & Naomi Griffin & Vanessa Er & Caroline Dodd-Reynolds & Matt Egan & Karen Lock & Steph Scott & Carolyn Summerbell & Rachael McKeo, 2022. "‘It All Kind of Links Really’: Young People’s Perspectives on the Relationship between Socioeconomic Circumstances and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-20, March.
    10. Rankin, David & Backett-Milburn, Kathryn & Platt, Stephen, 2009. "Practitioner perspectives on tackling health inequalities: Findings from an evaluation of healthy living centres in Scotland," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 925-932, March.

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