What term describes the negative effects of inequality in wealth, status, and opportunity over the life span?

The term that describes the negative effects of inequality in wealth, status, and opportunity over a person's life span is cumulative disadvantage. This concept suggests that individuals who start with fewer resources and opportunities will likely experience increasingly greater disadvantages throughout their lives. These disadvantages can accumulate, affecting various aspects like access to education, healthcare, job opportunities, and social networks, ultimately leading to significant gaps in life outcomes compared to those who begin with more advantages.

Cumulative disadvantage recognizes that these effects are not isolated incidents but rather build upon one another over time. For instance, if a child comes from a low-income background, they may attend underfunded schools, have limited access to extracurricular activities, and lack the support networks that others may have. As they progress through life, these initial disadvantages can hinder their social mobility and economic stability, reinforcing a cycle of inequality.

In contrast, cumulative advantage refers to the process by which individuals with initial advantages accumulate more advantages over time, while social stratification is a broader concept that encompasses the hierarchical arrangement of individuals based on wealth, status, and power but does not specifically focus on the negative cumulative effects. The wealth gap simply indicates the difference in wealth distribution among individuals or groups and does not directly address the ongoing negative effects experienced over a lifetime