The Unequal Selves Model: How Children Develop Self-Views in an Age of Economic Inequality

Abstract

Economic inequality is on the rise globally. How do children form self-views in an age of economic inequality? I offer a developmental model—the Unequal Selves Model—addressing this question by bridging insights from the psychological, educational, and sociological literatures. To support the model, I draw on qualitative, observational, survey, experimental, and intervention research, including cross-cultural studies, with a broad focus on childhood and adolescence (ages 4–18). The model identifies three pathways. Specifically, in contexts of economic inequality, children make social comparisons with worse- or better-off others (comparative self), face socioeconomic stereotypes (stereotyped self), and imagine their futures while receiving few opportunities for upward social mobility (disillusioned self). As a result, children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds may come to see themselves as less worthy, deserving, competent, and capable of growth, while children from socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds may develop excessive achievement pressure. These gaps may widen in contexts with greater economic inequality and have downstream consequences (e.g., for mental health and academic achievement). The model informs theory and practice by positioning children's self-views not as merely personal afflictions but as reflections of broader structural conditions.