Socioeconomic Status

There is wide agreement among scholars, practitioners, and policy makers that access to human financial and social capital over the life course is important for individual well-being. Research shows that socioeconomic status (SES) often determines how much access one has to such resources. Although there are differences of opinion on how best to measure SES, most agree that household SES derives from such conditions as the income available to household members, the educational attainment and occupation of adults in the household, and the affordances present in the neighborhood of residence. There is a vast literature on relations between components of SES and many aspects of individual development. This entry [Page 2109]focuses on relations between SES and three major domains of development: (a) health, (b) competence, ...