CHILDHOOD AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY: A LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL CLASS ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The central objective of this study was to analyze, through a bibliographic review, the main inequalities and differences in child development among children from different social classes. The research, which adopted a qualitative approach, was based on sources obtained from the SCIELO and Google Scholar databases, considering articles published between 2020 and 2025 that directly or indirectly addressed social inequality in childhood. from the analysis of the selected material, the main social and economic factors that directly influenced children’s development were identified, such as family income, housing conditions, and access to healthcare. In addition, the study described how inequalities in access to education significantly impacted the development of children from different social classes, affecting their academic performance, socialization, and future opportunities. The reviewed literature also highlighted the substantial effects of social inequality on children’s cognitive and emotional performance. Children in vulnerable situations tend to experience greater difficulties in areas such as attention, memory, language, and emotional self-regulation. These findings demonstrate that social disparities compromise the integral development of children, reinforcing the importance of public policies that promote equity from the earliest years of life.