Research in Social Stratification and Mobility最新文献

Robert Mare introduced the education transitions model in his 1977 dissertation, and new analyses using the method are published every year. In order to grasp the importance of Mare’s contribution, it is necessary to first set the context that forged a need for his approach. Key to that context are the methods analysts used prior to Mare’s intervention. A summary of foundational aspects of the model, as well as insights from considering the model from three different vantage points, follows. Most notably, the comparisons made possible in the approach, some of which were not possible before, are highlighted. The model is then considered from three different perspectives. Still, the model is no panacea–challenges that have emerged concerning the Mare model are then noted. Yet, for each challenge there are feasible responses. Thus, analysts have continued the tradition, elaborating and extending the approach while producing substantive understanding and theoretical insights unavailable without access to the model. Thus, nearly half a century after Mare’s dissertation was filed, it is still bearing fruit. We are left with a powerful, continuing resource for understanding how social background and other determinants of interest are implicated in producing educational attainment–the Mare framework.

This paper presents a study of the relationship between assortative mating and ethnic segregation in Stockholm, Sweden. We examine how segregation influences couple formation, where newly cohabiting couples choose to live, and how union formation and mobility jointly influence residential segregation. 1990–2012 Swedish population registers allow us to identify the onset of cohabiting relationships and residential mobility for newly cohabiting couples. Estimates based on two-sex models of assortative mating and discrete choice models of residential mobility reveal that non-Western ethnic groups are largely confined to non-Western partners and to neighborhoods with disproportionately high representations of non-Western groups. Simulations based on our empirical models indicate that assortative mating and residential mobility both contribute to segregation. Tendencies to partner with singles who live nearby and who share the same ethnicity and nativity increase segregation. The results demonstrate how residential segregation and homogamous patterns of union formation are mutually constitutive and suggest that more attention should be paid to family demography when studying segregation.

Despite the dominance of a two-generation approach to the study of intergenerational social mobility, multigenerational influences that link the characteristics of kin across three or more generations may be important in some populations. These effects include direct net effects of grandparents’ socioeconomic characteristics on grandchildren, the effects of even more remote generations, the effects of family characteristics that bring extreme advantage or disadvantage at points in the past that are not uniformly tied to any specific past generation, a variety of demographic effects that both reweight socioeconomic distributions in successive generations and also incorporate multigenerational effects on demographic behavior itself, heterogeneous multigenerational effects in populations that contain more than one social mobility regime, and long-run multigenerational effects that result from mobility-fertility interactions in population dynamics. Genealogical data from the Qing Dynasty Imperial Lineage and from population registry data for Liaoning, China over the past several centuries provide illustrations of all of these types of multigenerational effects. Multigenerational influence is much more multi-faceted than previous speculations and empirical investigations have implied.

This paper summarizes some of Robert Mare’s major contributions as a sociologist, demographer, and social statistician; as a pioneer who advanced the multi-generational perspective in social science research; as a leader who introduced demographic thinking to social mobility studies; and as a trailblazer who developed new approaches to studying multi-generational processes

Social science research on between-group segregation relies heavily on mathematical indices of exposure and unevenness, which tell us very little about the underlying patterns of segregation. We present a new visual method for analyzing two-group and multi-group segregation patterns, which we call a segplot. Segplots provide an intuitive illustration of segregation between schools, neighborhoods, occupations, or other units, adding to the depth and communicability of scholarly research. The visualization shows the entire segregation pattern, as well as the relevant reference distribution used in many measures of segregation. Segplots are particularly useful when comparing patterns of segregation over time, between locations, or between different types of units. For more complex, high-dimensional segregation patterns, we also present an algorithm that can be used to “compress” the pattern to obtain a visually clearer result. We provide illustrative applications to typical problems in segregation research, demonstrating how segplots can be used to complement and enrich a traditional mathematical analysis of between-group segregation.

Using register data from Statistics Netherlands (2009–2019), this paper examines whether the first employment contract is related to early career outcomes for a cohort of young workers who entered the Dutch labour market in the period from late 2009–2013. Instead of looking at the timing of isolated transitions between employment states, 6-year-long trajectories are considered to identify differences in early career paths. Applying a Mixture Hidden Markov Model, eight distinct states of employment quality characterized by different contract types and incomes are identified. Transitions between these employment states reveal four early career patterns that differ according to their upward and downward mobility. Our results show that entering the labour market with a permanent contract does not necessarily lead to immediate wage growth, but provides a safeguard against volatile careers with frequent transitions in and out of employment. While entering the labour market with a fixed-term contract facilitates upward mobility, on-call and temporary agency work early in the career may negatively affect long-term labour market integration.

Studies have shown that early investments improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. Targeted early childhood interventions aimed at vulnerable children have lasting positive impacts throughout the participants' life course, consequently reducing inequalities. However, results from targeted programs cannot be generalized to universal Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Universal ECEC, available to all children, may increase inequalities given stratification in access to nationwide programs. In order to analyze whether universal ECEC has the same equalizing effects as the targeted programs, this study uses a systematic review and meta-analysis of quasi-experimental evidence to examine the impact of universal ECEC on children's outcomes throughout their lives, focusing on how it affects children from different socioeconomic statuses (SES). The findings indicate that universal ECEC is an effective policy strategy for equalization, as it reduces inequalities by benefiting more children from disadvantaged families. Low SES children benefit more in the non-cognitive domain than high SES children. Starting ECEC before age three improves the chances of better outcomes for disadvantaged children. The results demonstrate significant variability across regions, with European programs standing out in delivering positive outcomes for children from vulnerable backgrounds. The study emphasizes the importance of equitable access to universal ECEC to reduce inequalities and foster long-lasting positive impacts on children's development and life chances.

As gender segregation decreases and women's education levels rise in Chinese society, there is growing interest in exploring how the social status of husbands and wives impacts their class identity. However, the role of relative social status in shaping couples' respective class identities remains less well understood. This research aims to address this gap by systematically examining the influence on couples' respective class identities of intra-couple comparisons between husbands and wives, as well as husbands' or wives' respective social comparisons with other individuals of the same gender in society, thus providing a comprehensive framework for understanding "intra-couple" and "intra-gender" comparisons in the context of class identity. Using data from the 2010–2018 China General Social Survey, our findings suggest that the relative social status of the husbands as compared to other married men in society, but not that of wives, plays a crucial role in shaping couples' respective class identities. This intra-gender comparison effect is stronger than intra-couple comparison and has remained relatively consistent over time. These findings align with the traditional Chinese gender norm that emphasizes "male dominance in the public sphere and female dominance in the private sphere" and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the formation of class identity among Chinese couples.