1. Status Attainment and Mobility
Social mobility
Blau and Duncan’s Status Attainment Model
Wisconsin School of Mobility Studies

2. Social mobility: “any transition of an individual or social object or value—anything that has been created or modified by human activity—from one social position to another.” (Pitirim A.Sorokin, 1959)

3. Blau and Duncan’s Status Attainment Model
Father’s Education
Son’s Education + + + + + + +
Son’s Occupation in 1962 +
Father’s Occupation
Son’s 1st Occupation

4. Basic Mobility Table Structure Son’s Occupation (in percent)
Father’s Occupation
Upper White-Collar
Lower White-Collar
Upper Manual
Lower Manual
Farm
Total
Upper white-collar
Lower white-collar
Upper manual

5. Outflow from Father’s Occupation to Son’s Occupation, 1982-1990
Son’s Occupation (in percent)
Father’s Occupation
Upper White-Collar
Lower White-Collar
Upper Manual
Lower Manual
Farm
Total
Upper white-collar 60 14 11 1
100
Lower white-collar 39 18 19 23
Upper manual 32 10 33 24 2 27 25 37 22 16 36 12 3

6. Downward Mobility Upward Mobility
Outflow from Father’s Occupation to Son’s Occupation,
Son’s Occupation (in percent)
Father’s Occupation
Upper White-Collar
Lower White-Collar
Upper Manual
Lower Manual
Farm
Total
Upper white-collar 60 14 11 1
100
Lower white-collar 39 18 19 23
Upper manual 32 10 33 24 2 27 25 37 22 16 36 12 3
Downward Mobility
Upward Mobility

7. Downward Mobility
Upward Mobility

8. Basic Conclusions from Mobility and Status Attainment Research
Though upward mobility has slowed somewhat, overall, upward mobility still outweighs downward mobility (in general).
Occupational inheritance in the U.S. is fairly high at the top and bottom of the occupational structure. Between the extremes, inheritance is less and intergenerational mobility is relatively greater.
Overall, most social mobility in U.S. is short-range mobility.

9. Basic Conclusions from Mobility and Status Attainment Research
The occupational pattern for Blacks in the U.S. indicates that there is much occupational inheritance at the bottom of the occupational hierarchy and occupational disinheritance at the top.
Women, in general, are concentrated in lower non-manual positions. No matter where women originate (in terms of parental occupation), they are likely to move into lower non-manual positions.

10. Basic Conclusions from Mobility and Status Attainment Research
Both family background and education are strongly related to career success.
Family background can give some people a “double boost” if they are from a privileged background…
Parental status can affect career success (e.g. parent may have “connections”)
High parental status affects educational attainment (thus, family background has an indirect effect on career success through education)

11. Basic Conclusions from Mobility and Status Attainment Research
Background variables account for nearly half of the variance in occupational attainment. This includes parental occupation, parental education, income, and race.
Though the effect of education on career success matches that of background, there is a persistent problem of lack of access to education among various groups (especially low income, and racial minorities).

12. Basic Conclusions from Mobility and Status Attainment Research
The most recent research on occupational mobility indicates that occupational inheritance is on the rise and the affect of education on attainment is declining.

13. Sample Annotation
Korenman, Sanders, David Neumark “Does Marriage Really
Make Men More Productive?” The Journal of Human
Resources 26(2):
  Addresses the question of why married men earn more than non-married men—even after controlling for relevant human capital variables, region, and industry. Examines the hypothesis that the marriage premium is based on productivity differences between married and non-married men. The authors confirm the existence of a marriage premium for white men even controlling for human capital variables. Data is dated (1984). Results are in contrast to 1992 article by same author which explores marriage/motherhood penalty for women. Article has very nice review of the research done on the causes of the marriage premium for men.

14. Rank the following occupations according to their general standing in society:
Doctor
Secretary
School teacher
Waiter/waitress
Maid/servant

15. NORC Ranking/Duncan SEI
Doctor (92)
School teacher (70-72)
Secretary(44)
Waiter/waitress (16)
Maid/servant (7)