Introduction

In this chapter I look at two extremes on the life chances (LCs) continuum or inequality spectrum – well- being (positive LCs) and disadvantage (negative LCs) – and some of the most important components relevant to well- being. The chapter focuses on the life experiences of different classes of people mainly in Australia and the UK where longitudinal studies and interviews have revealed how the advantaged and disadvantaged manage their lives. From the testimonies of a diverse range of individuals – urban and rural dwellers, Indigenous and non- Indigenous Australians, rich and poor, the homeless and the housed – one can see how the other half live, so to speak. I begin with a brief account of how well- being and disadvantage are analysed in the chapter.

Overview

As mentioned in the conclusion to the previous chapter, social problems like inequality, poverty and injustice may be ameliorated but are unlikely to be eliminated. Inequality in LCs, for example, begins at birth and continues through the experiences of early childhood, school, employment and lifestyle practices. LCs are also shaped by where people live and how distance – particularly salient in the vast Australian continent – affects their access to opportunities and amenities.

Dahrendorf's concepts of options and ligatures discussed fully in Chapter 1 relate to the better- known sociological concepts of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, which are applicable to the LCs and well- being of people residing in cities and remote/ rural/ regional communities. Put simply, city people tend to be blessed with options but not necessarily with the networks available in small communities; for country people, the reverse is what they tend to experience.

The theories of well-being explored in the chapter are in no way fixed and as such are contingent on unexpected, unpredictable events beyond the control of individuals. In affluent Western societies the experience of mass trauma is fairly rare; our well- being is more likely to be influenced by commonplace risks which nonetheless can transform our lives. I discuss these risks – and attempts to protect us from them – in reference to two longitudinal studies and how people's well- being is affected by social problems such as domestic violence and substance abuse. Although aboriginal women in Australia are impacted the most by these issues, other disadvantaged groups also suffer unnecessarily in many cases.