Publications
A Discussion About Cumulative Disadvantage
2019
Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging (Producer). (2019, April 9). A discussion about cumulative disadvantage [Video].
Ruth Finkelstein
Social scientists are using the theory of cumulative disadvantage to help understand aging over the life course. Cumulative disadvantage looks at “functionality” over a person’s life. People who experience cumulative disadvantage face greater inequalities over their lifetimes. If we look at aging as full of both opportunity and challenge, we can start to understand how and when to intervene to help people age into better lives. Cumulative disadvantage is a call to action at all levels. People need decent housing, food, and access to medical care, but they also need a purpose in life. Communities need to advocate for what they need for their members to age well. Governments and service sectors need to support aging at the community level.
In this video, Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, the former New York City commissioner of the Department for the Aging, talks with Dr. Ruth Finkelstein about cumulative disadvantage.