Lynch School of Education, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA.
School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Nat Hum Behav. 2019 Mar;3(3):214-220. doi: 10.1038/s41562-018-0523-0. Epub 2019 Feb 11.
Economic inequality can have a range of negative consequences for those in younger generations, particularly for those from lower-socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Economists and psychologists, among other social scientists, have addressed this issue, but have proceeded largely in parallel. This Perspective outlines how these disciplines have proposed and provided empirical support for complementary theoretical models. Specifically, both disciplines emphasize that inequality weakens people's belief in socioeconomic opportunity, thereby reducing the likelihood that low-SES young people will engage in behaviours that would improve their chances of upward mobility (for example, persisting in school or averting teenage pregnancy). In integrating the methods and techniques of economics and psychology, we offer a cohesive framework for considering this issue. When viewed as a whole, the interdisciplinary body of evidence presents a more complete and compelling framework than does either discipline alone. We use this unification to offer policy recommendations that would advance prospects for mobility among low-SES young people.
经济不平等会对年轻一代产生一系列负面影响，尤其是对那些来自社会经济地位较低（SES）背景的人。经济学家和心理学家等社会科学家已经研究了这个问题，但基本上是并行的。本文概述了这些学科如何提出并提供互补理论模型的实证支持。具体来说，这两个学科都强调不平等会削弱人们对社会经济机会的信念，从而降低低 SES 年轻人采取可能提高向上流动机会的行为的可能性（例如，坚持学业或避免青少年怀孕）。在整合经济学和心理学的方法和技术时，我们提供了一个连贯的框架来考虑这个问题。从整体上看，跨学科的证据比任何单一学科都提供了更完整、更有说服力的框架。我们利用这种统一来提出政策建议，以提高低 SES 年轻人的流动前景。
