Reducing Vulnerability in Critical Life Course Phases through Enhancing Human Capital

K.C., S., Lutz, W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7975-8145, Loichinger, E., Muttarak, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0627-4451, & Striessnig, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5419-9498 (2014). Reducing Vulnerability in Critical Life Course Phases through Enhancing Human Capital. IIASA Interim Report. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: IR-14-001

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Project: Forecasting Societies Adaptive Capacities to Climate Change (FUTURESOC, FP7 230195)

Abstract

In this paper we examine selected types of vulnerability over the human life course with a specific focus on differentials not only by age and gender -- as is conventionally done in demography -- but also by level of education and with a focus on health.

Starting with the newborn and vulnerability in terms of infant and child mortality, we refer to the level of education of the mother. In reference to young people's susceptibility to unemployment after leaving school, we take into account the education of the women and men themselves. Proceeding further in the life course, we next consider vulnerability to becoming disabled in the age group 30-74 according to the education level of the studied persons themselves. Finally, the last section studies differential vulnerability at the national level using the time series of deaths from disasters where the aggregate levels of education at a national level are being taken into account.

We conclude that over the entire life cycle of individuals, the changes in behavior that tend to be associated with more education (of mothers or the persons themselves) can be viewed as a potent factor in reducing child mortality, reducing the risk for unemployment at young age, reducing the vulnerability to natural disasters, and finally reducing the risk of falling into disability. These general long-term benefits of near-term investments in education hold for individuals as well as for entire societies.

Item Type: Monograph (IIASA Interim Report)
Research Programs: World Population (POP)
Depositing User: IIASA Import
Date Deposited: 15 Jan 2016 08:52
Last Modified: 05 Aug 2023 05:01
URI: https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/11265

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