![]() ![]() There are also gaps in what we know about resilience-in particular how optimism varies between different places. However, this does not mean that poor black people are entirely happy with their situation. Despite reporting high levels of optimism, this group was much less likely to report feeling safe in their neighborhoods, or to be satisfied with their financial situations, than their white counterparts. Informal safety nets may also play a role-such as the community surrounding black churches and extended Hispanic families. Some of this may be due to resilience built up over generations of hardship-as seen in many poor countries. For example, black and Hispanic people are much less likely than white people to report depression or commit suicide. They also report more pain, stress, and anger than other parts of society.Īnother factor appears to be higher levels of resilience among poor minorities. The health implications of this have been particularly serious. White people without a college education are much more likely to die prematurely of preventable deaths than any other group. But much of the improvement is due to the relative decline in the incomes and status of poor white people- a trend associated with the hollowing-out of blue-collar jobs, which are decreasing in both number and stability at the same time as the market for high-skilled labor continues to prosper and grow. Some of this is because of concrete gains made by those communities. While disadvantage and discrimination still exist, minorities have been making gradual progress in narrowing gaps with white people in terms of their education, wages, and life expectancy. In contrast, black and Hispanic people are more likely to report that their lives are better than their parents’ lives. For many years, blue-collar white people had some advantages over minorities, but they are now among the most disaffected parts of society and the most vulnerable to deaths of despair. Crucially, they are much more likely to report that their lives are worse than those of their parents and, in terms of stable employment and status, that is often the case. The explanations for these trends are complex, but economics and ambition play a part. We found that 86 percent of pessimists died by 2015, while only 77 percent of the optimists did. Among Americans born between 19, those who reported higher levels of optimism as young adults were much more likely to be alive in 2015 than less optimistic people. The link between optimism and longevity is strong. Desperation can lead to premature death, but living in an area where many such deaths occur can itself be a potential cause of lack of hope, stress, and worry. Of course, this relationship can run both ways. Poor black people are almost three times as likely to be a point higher on the optimism scale than poor white people. The link is strongest for poor white people without a college education, especially those who live in rural areas. People with low levels of optimism and high levels of stress and worry are more likely to die from deaths of despair, or to live in areas with high levels of such deaths. And poor black people are half as likely to report experiencing stress the previous day than poor white people.ĭesperation, stress, and worry are closely linked to a greater risk of premature death, regardless of income or race. The starkest disparity is found in the detail that poor black people are almost three times as likely to be a point higher on the optimism scale than poor white people. ![]() ![]() The average score for rich people is 7.5, while for poor people it is 6.9. That is a significant gulf-greater than the difference between rich and poor people, which is 0.6 points. The gap across poor black people and poor white people is even larger, at 1.4 points. Black people on average score above 8, while the average for white people is 7. On this scale, black people are, on average, 1.1 points higher on the optimism scale than white people are. To measure the differences, we use an 11-point scale, where 0 is desperate and 10 is very optimistic. Very different outlooks are revealed when black and white people are asked about their wellbeing. And by poor, we mean a household of four earning less than $24,000 (£16,800) per year, which is effectively the official U.S. Amid all this is a perhaps unexpected reality- the people who are most optimistic about their future are the most disadvantaged: poor black Americans, who are even slightly more optimistic than rich black people. ![]()
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