Unequal Effects of Disruptive Events

Abstract

Disruptive events have significant consequences for the individuals and families who experience them, but these effects do not occur equally across the population. While some groups are strongly affected, others experience few consequences. We review recent findings on inequality in the effects of disruptive events. We consider heterogeneity based on socioeconomic resources, race/ethnicity, the likelihood of experiencing disruption, and contextual factors such as the normativity of the event in particular social settings. We focus on micro-level events affecting specific individuals and families, including divorce, job loss, home loss and eviction, health shocks and deaths, and violence and incarceration, but also refer to macro-level events such as recession and natural disasters. We describe patterns of variation that suggest a process of resource disparities and cumulative disadvantage versus those that reflect the impact of non-normative and unexpected shocks. Finally, we review methodological considerations when examining variation in the effect of disruptive events.