Question

How have neighborhoods and families been shaped by growing economic inequality? What are the consequences of these changes for the life chances of kids?

Answer 1

Increase in economic inequality leads to increase in the gap between poor and rich. As a result poor families and neighbourhoods become more economically backward. The economic backwardness intensifies their social problems. It affects their health partly because they live in poor neighbourhoods that lack sanitation and partly because they cannot afford nutritious food and treatment costs. It minimizes their life-satisfaction and happiness.
Poverty also adversely affects child outcomes. The background and circumstances play an important role in determining and affecting the life chances (opportunities one has to improve his/her quality of life) of children.
Poor families cannot access high quality child care affecting the early development of the children born in such families. Poor parents cannot afford quality education for their children affecting their educational attainment and job prospects.
Poor families are mostly concentrated in poor neighbourhoods and they send their children to low budget schools. As a result children from poor families have limited or in some cases no access to appropriate learning environments or leaning resources.  
The economic problems within the family also adversely affects the mental development of children in such families by keeping them in constant stress and pressure. Economic limitations limit the possibilities of children to get a healthy life, quality education and a bright future.
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