BR. What areLife Chances?

Life Chances

• “Likelihood that individuals have of sharing in the benefits and opportunities of society.”

• Health• Length of life• Housing• Education ( this varies by social class )

Life Expectancy

• “Average number of years a person born in a particular year can expect to live.”

• The big differences in life expectancy are particularly dramatic in the case of infants.

• Children born in poverty are 60% more likely to die in the first year of life than are children not born in poverty

Shorter life expectancy

• Inadequate nutrition: poor people have less money to spend on food and often are less informed about good nutrition.

• Medical insurance: it’s too expensive, less likely to have regular physical checkups

• Prescriptions are expensive• Postpone medical treatment / environment

Patterns of Behavior

• Divorce rates are higher• More likely to be arrested, convicted and sent

to prison ( more crime in poor areas, that police are more likely to pursue )

• More likely to become a victim of crime• Less likely to attend a four year university

Environment

• Working poor have jobs with health and safety risks.

• Housing is inadequate• Education is not properly funded due to low

tax revenue• Education is a serious factor because of their

negative effect on future opportunities