Dr Carol Craig
Useful perspectives
•Culture of inequality (Spirit Level, Wilkinson and Pickett)
•Lack of psychosocial integration (Bruce Alexander)
• Unstable/poor gender relations (eg Research into the
importance of marriage by Professor Andrew Oswald)
•‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ (Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention)
Prevalence of Specific ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’
(ACE study)
ACE Category
Data collected 1995-98
(but relating to childhood of
respondents with a mean age of 57)
Women
(n 9,367)
%
Men
(n 7,970)
%
Total
(n 17,337)
%
Abuse
Emotional abuse
Physical abuse (smacked or hit)
Sexual abuse (by anyone 5 years older)
13.1
27.0
24.7
7.6
29.9
16.0
10.6
28.3
20.7
Neglect
Emotional neglect
Physical neglect
16.7
9.2
12.4
10.7
14.8
9.9
13.7
29.5
11.5
23.8
12.7
26.9
23.3
14.8
19.4
24.5
5.2
21.8
4.1
23.3
4.7
Household dysfunction
Mother treated violently
Household subst. abuse (alcohol or
drugs)
Household mental illness
(depression, attempted suicide)
Parents separate/divorce
Incarcerated household member
Prevalence of ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ (ACE study)
Number of Adverse Childhood
Experiences (ACE Scores)
Women
Men
Total
0
34.5
38.0
36.1
1
24.5
37.9
26.0
2
15.5
16.4
15.9
3
10.3
8.6
9.5
4 or more
15.2
9.2
12.5
Useful perspectives
•Culture of inequality
•Lack of psychosocial integration
•Unstable/poor gender relations
•‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’
•Materialist values (Tim Kasser)
The high price of materialism
Tim Kasser
Materialist/extrinsic values:
•Money and what it can buy
•Appearance
•Status, popularity, fame
Useful perspectives
•Culture of inequality
•Lack of psychosocial integration
•Unstable/poor gender relations
•‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’
•Materialist values
•Well-being research (Self-determination theory, positive
psychology)
Well-being research - what matters
•Exercise/being outdoors
•Good relationships
•Work (but some jobs much better than others)
•Sense of autonomy/personal control
•Skills, competence, engagement, flow
•Meaning - serving a goal bigger than self.