RSF: Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
"While income is a primary focus of family economics research, wealth is a critical component of well-being. On the one hand, wealth can provide an important buffer when expenses exceed income, aiding in the avoidance of negative socioeconomic outcomes. These can include everything from unexpected medical expenses to a needed car repair to prices for necessary expenses climbing faster than income. On the other hand, wealth can be used to invest in the future and maintain or advance socioeconomic status through purchasing a home, attaining higher education, starting a small business, saving for retirement, or creating a nest egg for ensuing generations. These two primary functions demonstrate the essential role wealth plays in key outcomes and the importance of incorporating wealth into our understanding of family well-being.
"For this call, we focus primarily on the amounts of wealth needed to achieve different levels of economic and social well-being or reach different steps on the socio-economic ladder. These levels range from modest buffer funds that afford some stability to the additional resources needed to start investing to the assets corresponding to a “solid middle-class” lifestyle to the riches associated with having achieved high socioeconomic status. Put another way, we are focused on the wealth necessary for stability, security, mobility, and prosperity.
"We also focus on which outcomes matter most for the well-being of individuals and families and for the broader communities in which they reside, and how much wealth is necessary to achieve various socioeconomic benchmarks, like stability, security, mobility, and prosperity, associated with these outcomes. While we can compute various metrics (for example, the median down payment required to buy a home in a specific place), we lack robust conceptualization of how much wealth is needed across a range of conditions and circumstances. For example, in the presence of a social safety net that includes Medicare, Social Security, SNAP, and housing assistance and serves populations with a range of family types and sizes, health statuses and anticipated lifespans, how much wealth is necessary to support an adequate standard of living in retirement? Such measures could help scholars achieve a better understanding of wealth, and they could assist policymakers and practitioners in developing strategies that would enable the realization of various outcomes."
Prospective contributors should submit a CV and an abstract (up to two pages in length, single or double spaced) of their study along with up to three pages of supporting material (e.g., tables, figures, pictures, etc.) no later than 5 PM ET on October 8, 2026.
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