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Cited by 142Intergenerational and Educational Inequality StudiesSocial and Cultural DynamicsLabor market dynamics and wage inequality

The role of education in intergenerational social mobility: Problems from empirical research in sociology and some theoretical pointers from economics

Goldthorpe, John H·2014·Rationality and Society
DOI 10.1177/1043463113519068
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Abstract

Insofar as research into intergenerational social mobility and its mediation via education has had any theoretical context, this has been provided by the functionalist theory of industrial and post-industrial society. However, the inadequacies of this theory have become increasingly apparent, and rather little appeal to it is now in fact made. Yet no alternative body of theory has emerged. I propose that in developing the micro-level theory that is needed, sociologists could, with advantage, adapt to their own purposes theories originating in the economics of labour markets and, in particular, three theories in some degree deviating from mainstream human capital theory: screening and signalling theory; job competition theory; and incentive-enhancing preference theory. In this way, explanations for findings going contrary to expectations under the functionalist theory can be advanced that can already be provided with some degree of empirical support and that will be readily open to further testing.

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  • Education is considered to be the key mediator in the intergenerational persistence of socioeconomic status in both the economics and sociology literatures.

    “Education is considered to be the key mediator in the intergenerational persistence of socioeconomic status in both the economics and sociology literatures (Goldthorpe 2014).”

    From Educational Inequality* (2022) · cites this paper as Goldthorpe 2014

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Authors
Goldthorpe, J. H.
Affiliations
University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Goldthorpe, John H
ORCID
Goldthorpe, John H
Venue
Rationality and Society
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2014-07-22
Volume
26
Issue
3
Pages
265-289
ISSN
  • 1043-4631 (ISSN-L)
  • 1461-7358
DOI
10.1177/1043463113519068
OpenAlex
W2144514757
Cited by
142
References
99
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 9
FWCI
22.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Rationality and Society (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/I038187/1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Cultural Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Labor market dynamics and wage inequality
Keywords
intergenerational mobility, education, human capital theory, functionalist theory, labor market theory, post-industrial society

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