Family, Identity, and Inequality, Featuring Ariel Kalil and Mesmin Destin

Conversations about inequality tend to center on macro-level forces, such as political, economic, and social systems. But today on the show, we present two conversations that examine factors that unfold on a smaller scale: inside people’s everyday domains.

In our first segment, host Steven Durlauf interviews fellow host Ariel Kalil, a developmental psychologist at the University of Chicago, about her work on family structure and the ways it can influence inequality. They drill down on the roles extended family members like grandparents play in raising children, how growing up with a single parent appears to have a more pronounced effect on boys, and how economic scarcity can hamper parents’ ability to give attention to their children.

After that, Ariel and Steven speak with Mesmin Destin, a developmental psychologist at Northwestern. Drawing on research into identify formation, including the damaging effects of stereotype threat, Mesmin’s work explores identity-based motivation. The group considers various applications of this concept and how it may help alleviate inequality, including interventions that can help young people develop positive beliefs that are specific to their background and the benefits peer-to-peer mentorship programs.