The Global State of Children’s Inequality: Introducing the Worldwide Outlook for Children

• In Event: 410 - Regular Session. Children/Youth/Adolescents

Abstract

Given the current state of globalization in data gathering, what do we know about the world’s most disadvantaged children? This question arises from developing the Worldwide Outlook for Children (WOC), a global web informational resource of children’s rights, wellbeing, and characteristics. Here we deploy WOC resources to examine Therborn’s (2013) three types of global inequality: vital, existential, and resource inequalities. For each type of inequality, we present indicators of children’s well being, then discuss what each indicator says about children’s inequality worldwide. We then examine impacts of country wealth, political power resources, and political institutions on young people’s inequalities, finding that no single explanation accounts for differences in these inequalities. Instead, when calls are made by national governments, international non-government organizations such as the UN and the World Bank, to take one step or another step, such as spend more money, those efforts probably are misplaced. The present study concludes with a discussion of the utility of Therborn’s ideas for improving children’s well being, while discussing implications for young people’s interests arising from our efforts to identify and collect evidence of their well being.

Author

• Maria Schmeeckle, Illinois State University