Heights and human welfare: Recent developments and new directions

Since 1995 approximately 325 publications on stature have appeared in the social sciences, which is more than a four-fold increase in the rate of production relative to the period 1977–1994. The expansion occurred in several areas, but especially within economics, indicating that heights are now wid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inExplorations in economic history Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 1 - 23
Main Author Steckel, Richard H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Madison Elsevier Inc 2009
Elsevier
Elsevier BV
SeriesExplorations in Economic History
Subjects
Anthropometry
Economic history
Gender
Gender Health Industrialization Inequality Living Standards Stature Wages
Health
Height
Industrialization
Inequality
Living Standards
Measurement techniques
Quality of life
Social science research
Social sciences
Socioeconomic development
Stature
Wages
Welfare
Stature
Industrialization
Health
Living Standards
Gender
Wages
Inequality
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Summary:Since 1995 approximately 325 publications on stature have appeared in the social sciences, which is more than a four-fold increase in the rate of production relative to the period 1977–1994. The expansion occurred in several areas, but especially within economics, indicating that heights are now widely accepted as useful measure of human welfare. Much of this new work extends beyond the traditional bailiwick of anthropometric history, including biological welfare during economic and political crises; anthropometric determinants of wages; the welfare of women relative to men in the contemporary world; the fetal origins hypothesis; and inequality in the developing world. The approach has also expanded within economic history to consider the consequences of empire for colonials; the health of populations lacking traditional measures of social performance; the consequences of smallpox; and very long-term trends in health. Much has also been learned about socioeconomic aspects of inequality, the welfare implications of industrialization, and socioeconomic determinants of stature. The last is a work in progress and one may doubt whether sufficient longitudinal evidence will become available for a complete understanding of the variety and strength of pathways that affect human physical growth.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0014-4983
1090-2457
DOI:10.1016/j.eeh.2008.12.001