Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T07:47:51.337Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

BIOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF INTER-GENERATIONAL SOCIAL MOBILITY IN A BRITISH COHORT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2013

MONIKA KRZYŻANOWSKA  and
C. G. NICHOLAS MASCIE-TAYLOR
MONIKA KRZYŻANOWSKA*
Affiliation:
Department of Human Biology, University of Wrocław, Poland
C. G. NICHOLAS MASCIE-TAYLOR
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, UK
*
1Corresponding author. Email [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The relationship between inter-generational social mobility of sons and daughters between 1958 and 1991 and biosocial variables, i.e. birth order, number of children in family, father's social class, region, educational attainment of child and father, educational and cognitive test scores (reading, mathematics, verbal and non-verbal IQ tests), was studied in a large British cohort study. The data used were collected as part of the British National Child Development Study (NCDS). The extent of social class mobility was determined inter-generationally and was categorized as none (no change in social class between the father's and index child's social class), upwardly mobile (where the index child moved up one or more social classes compared with their father) or downwardly mobile (where the index child moved down one or more social classes compared with their father). All of the biosocial variables were associated with social mobility when analysed separately. Multivariate analyses revealed that the most significant predictor of mobility categories in both sexes was education of the cohort member, followed by social class of the father. In both sexes mathematics score was a significant predicator, while in sons reading and non-verbal IQ scores were also important predictors. In the light of these results, it appears that social mobility in Britain takes place largely on meritocratic principles.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , July 2013 , pp. 481 - 496
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andrews, D. & Leigh, A. (2009) More inequality, less social mobility. Applied Economics Letters 16, 1489–1492.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Argys, L. M., Rees, D. I., Averett, S. L. & Witoonchart, B. (2006) Birth order and risky adolescent behavior. Economic Inquiry 44, 215–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atherton, K., Fuller, E., Shepherd, P., Strachan, D. P. & Power, C. (2008) Loss and representativeness in a biomedical survey at age 45 years: 1958 British birth cohort. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 62, 216–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barreto, T. V. & Rodrigues, L. C. (1992) Factors influencing childhood immunization in an urban area of Brazil. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 46, 357–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berger, I. & Felsenthal-Berger, N. (2009) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and birth order. Journal of Child Neurology 24(6), 692–696.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biblarz, T. J., Raftery, A. E. & Bucur, A. (1997) Family structure and social mobility. Social Forces 75(4), 1319–1341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjerkedal, T., Kristensen, P., Skjeret, G. A. & Brevik, J. I. (2007) Intelligence test scores and birth order among young Norwegian men (conscripts) analyzed within and between families. Intelligence 35, 503–514.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Black, S. E., Devereux, P. J. & Salvanes, K. G. (2007) Small family, smart family? Family size and the IQ scores of young men. National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper No. 13336, pp. 1–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Black, S. E., Devereux, P. J. & Salvanes, K. G. (2011) Older and wiser? Birth order and IQ of young men. CESifo Economic Studies 57(1), 103–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blake, J. (1989) Family Size and Achievement. University of California Press, Berkeley.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blanden, J., Gregg, P. & Macmillan, L. (2006) Explaining intergenerational income persistence: non-cognitive skills, ability and education. CMPO Working Paper Series, No. 06/146.Google Scholar
Blane, D., Davey Smith, G. & Hart, C. (1999) Some social and physical correlates of intergenerational social mobility: evidence from the West of Scotland Collaborative Study. Sociology 33, 169–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bond, R. & Saunders, P. (1999) Routes of success: influences on the occupational attainment of young British males. British Journal of Sociology 50, 217–249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boomsma, D. I., van Beijsterveld, T. C. E. M., Beem, A. L., Hoekstra, R. A., Polderman, T. J. C. & Bartels, M. (2008) Intelligence and birth order in boys and girls. Intelligence 36, 630–634.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Booth, A. & Kee, H. J. (2009) Birth order matters: the effect of family size and birth order on educational attainment. Journal of Population Economics 22, 367–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosma, H., van de Mheen, H. D. & Mackenbach, J. P. (1999) Social class in childhood and general health in adulthood: questionnaire study of contribution of psychological attributes. British Medical Journal 318, 18–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradley, S. & Taylor, J. (2004) Ethnicity, educational attainment and the transition from school. The Manchester School 72, 317–346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breen, R. & Goldthorpe, J. H. (1999) Class inequality and meritocracy: a critique of Saunders and an alternative analysis. British Journal of Sociology 50, 1–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breen, R. & Goldthorpe, J. H. (2001) Class, mobility and merit: the experience of two British birth cohorts. European Sociological Review 17, 81–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breen, R. & Jonsson, J. O. (2000) Analyzing educational careers: a multinomial transition model. American Sociological Review 65, 754–772.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardano, M., Costa, G. & Demaria, M. (2004) Social mobility and health in the Turin longitudinal study. Social Science & Medicine 58, 1563–1574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carneiro, P., Crawford, C. & Goodman, A. (2007) The impact of early cognitive and non-cognitive skills on later outcomes. Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE, London.Google Scholar
Cernerud, L. (1995) Height and social mobility. A study of the height of 10 year olds in relation to socio-economic background and type of formal schooling. Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine 23, 28–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cherian, V. I. (1990) Birth order and academic achievement of children in Transkei. Psychological Reports 66, 19–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davey Smith, G., Hart, C., Hole, D., MacKinnon, P., Gillis, C. & Watt, G. C. (1998) Education and occupational social class: which is the more important indicator of mortality risk? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 52, 153–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deary, I., Taylor, M., Hart, C., Wilson, V., Smith, G., Blane, D. & Starr, J. (2005) Intergenerational social mobility and mid-life status attainment: influences of childhood intelligence, childhood social factors, and education. Intelligence 33, 455–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Haan, M. (2010) Birth order, family size and educational attainment. Economics of Education Review 29, 576–588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiRago, A. C. & Vaillant, G. E. (2007) Resilience in inner city youth: childhood predictors of occupational status across the lifespan. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 36, 61–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Downey, D. B. (1995) When bigger is not better: family size, parental resources, and children's educational performance. American Sociological Review 60, 746–761.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dubow, E. F., Boxer, P. & Huesmann, L. R. (2009) Long-term effects of parents' education on children's educational and occupational success: mediation by family interactions, child aggression, and teenage aspirations. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 55(3), 224–249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elliott, B. A. (1992) Birth order and health: major issues. Social Science & Medicine 35(4), 443–452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falbo, T. & Polit, D. F. (1986) A quantitative review of the only child literature: research evidence and theory development. Psychological Bulletin 100, 176–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J. & Boden, J. M. (2006) Birth order and educational achievement in adolescence and young adulthood. Australian Journal of Education 50, 122–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forrest, L. F., Hodgson, S., Parker, L. & Pearce, M. S. (2011) The influence of childhood IQ and education on social mobility in the Newcastle Thousand Families birth cohort. BMC Public Health 11, 895.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gall, S. L., Abbott-Chapman, J., Patton, G. C., Dwyer, T. & Venn, A. (2010) Intergenerational educational mobility is associated with cardiovascular disease risk behaviours in a cohort of young Australian adults: the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) Study. BMC Public Health 10, 55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ha, T. S. & Tam, C. L. (2011) A study of birth order, academic performance, and personality. International Conference on Social Science and Humanity, IPEDR, Vol. 5, IACSIT Press, Singapore.Google Scholar
Hart, C. L. & Davey Smith, G. (2003) Relation between number of siblings and adult mortality and stroke risk: 25 year follow up of men in the Collaborative Study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 57, 385–391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, C. L., Davey Smith, G. & Blane, D. (1998) Social mobility and 21 year mortality in a cohort of Scottish men. Social Science & Medicine 47, 1121–1130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hauser, R. M., Warren, J. R., Huang, M-H. & Carter, W. Y. (1996) Occupational status, education, and social mobility in the meritocracy. Center for Demography and Ecology (CDE), Working Paper No. 96–18.Google Scholar
Healey, M. D. & Ellis, B. J. (2007) Birth order, conscientiousness, and openness to experience: tests of the family-niche model of personality using a within-family methodology. Evolution and Human Behavior 28, 55–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iacovou, M. (2001) Family composition and children's educational outcomes. Working Paper of Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester. URL: http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/pubs/workpaps/pdf/2001-12.pdf (accessed 29th April 2009).Google Scholar
Iannelli, C. & Paterson, L. (2005) Does education promote social mobility? Centre for Educational Sociology, CES Briefing No. 35, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Jaeger, M. M. (2009) Sibship size and educational attainment: a joint test of the confluence model and the resource dilution hypothesis. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 27, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaeger, M. M. & Holm, A. (2003) Which background factors matter more in intergenerational educational attainment: social class, cultural capital or cognitive ability? A random effects approach. Centre for Applied Microeconometrics 1–28.Google Scholar
Johnson, W., Brett, C. E. & Deary, I. J. (2010) The pivotal role of education in the association between ability and social class attainment: a look across three generations. Intelligence 38, 55–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kantarevic, J. & Mechoulan, S. (2005) Birth order, educational attainment and earnings: an investigation using the PSID. IZA Discussion Papers, No. 1789. URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/33423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, B. A., Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. & Boldsen, J. (1992) Birth order and health status in a British national sample. Journal of Biosocial Science 24(1), 25–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krzyżanowska, M. & Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. (2011) Intra- and intergenerational social mobility in relation to height, weight and body mass index in a British national cohort. Journal of Biosocial Science 43, 611–618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lampard, R. (2007) Is social mobility an echo of educational mobility? Parents' educations and occupations and their children's occupational attainment. Sociological Research Online 12, 16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lasker, G. W. & Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. (1989) Effects of social class differences and social mobility on growth in height, weight and body mass index in a British cohort. Annals of Human Biology 16, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, S. A. & Britton, J. R. (1998) Measles infection, measles vaccination and the effect of birth order in the aetiology of hay fever. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 28, 1493–1500.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, J. & Taylor, B. (1993) Factors affecting uptake of measles, mumps, and rubella immunization. British Medical Journal 307, 168–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, H., Zhang, J. & Zhu, Y. (2008) The quantity-quality trade-off of children in a developing country: identification using Chinese twins. Demography 45, 223–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Machin, S. (2004) Education systems and intergenerational mobility 1. Education 1–26.Google Scholar
Marjoribanks, K. (1987) Birth order and sibsize correlates of educational attainment and occupational status. Psychological Reports 61, 147–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. (1984) The interaction between geographical and social mobility. In Boyce, A. J. (ed.) Migration & Mobility, Biosocial Aspects of Human Movement. Symposia of the Society for the Study of Human Biology, Vol. 23. Taylor & Francis, London and Philadelphia, pp. 161–178.Google Scholar
Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. & Gibson, J. B. (1978) Social mobility and IQ components. Journal of Biosocial Science 10, 263–276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mcintosh, J. & Munk, M. (2009) Social class, family background, and intergenerational mobility. European Economic Review 53, 107–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Modin, B. (2002) Birth order and mortality: a life-long follow-up of 14,200 boys and girls born in early 20th century Sweden. Social Science & Medicine 54, 1051–1064.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Müller, W. & Shavit, Y. (1998) The institutional embeddedness of the stratification process: a comparative study of qualifications and occupations in thirteen countries. In Shavit, Y. & Müller, W. (eds) From School to Work: A Comparative Study of Educational Qualifications and Occupational Destinations. Clarendon Press, New York, pp. 1–48.Google Scholar
Nettle, D. (2003) Intelligence and class mobility in the British population. British Journal of Psychology 94, 551–561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parr, N. (2006) Do children from small families do better? Journal of Population Research 23, 1–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paulhus, D. L., Trapnell, P. D. & Chen, D. (1999) Birth order effects on personality and achievement within families. Psychological Science 10, 482–488.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Power, C. & Elliott, J. (2006) Cohort profile: 1958 British birth cohort (National Child Development Study). International Journal of Epidemiology 35, 34–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richards, M. & Sacker, A. (2003) Lifetime antecedents of cognitive reserve. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 25, 614–624.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rohde, P. A., Atzwanger, K., Butovskaya, M., Lampert, A., Mysterud, L., Sanchez-Andres, A. & Sulloway, F. J. (2003) Perceived parental favoritism, closeness to kin, and the rebel of the family. Evolution and Human Behavior 24, 261–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, P. (1997) Social mobility in Britain: an empirical evaluation of two competing explanations. Sociology 31, 261–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, P. (2002) Reflections on the meritocracy debate in Britain: a response to Richard Breen and John Goldthorpe. British Journal of Sociology 53, 559–574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schoon, I. (2008) A transgenerational model of status attainment: the potential mediating role of school motivation and education. National Institute Economic Review 205(1), 72–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sen, A. & Clemente, A. (2010) Intergenerational correlations in educational attainment: birth order and family size effects using Canadian data. Economics of Education Review 29, 147–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shavit, Y. & Blossfeld, H. P. (eds) (1993) Persistent Inequalities: A Comparative Study of Educational Attainment in Thirteen Countries. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado.Google Scholar
Sieben, I. & De Graaf, P. M. (2001) Testing the modernization hypothesis and the socialist ideology hypothesis: a comparative sibling analysis of educational attainment and occupational status. British Journal of Sociology 52, 441–467.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sorjonen, K., Hemmingsson, T., Lundin, A. & Melin, B. (2011) How social position of origin relates to intelligence and level of education when adjusting for attained social position. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 277–281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steelman, L. C. & Powell, B. (1985) The social and academic consequences of birth order: real, artifactual, or both? Journal of Marriage and Family 47, 117–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sulloway, F. J. (1996) Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives. Pantheon, New York.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, B. G. & Fidell, L. S. (2006) Using Multivariate Statistics. Fifth edition. Allyn & Bacon, Boston.Google Scholar
Tomasson, R. F. (1966) Social mobility and family size in two high-status populations. Eugenics Quarterly 13, 113–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Bavel, J., Moreels, S., Van de Putte, B. & Matthijs, K. (2011) Family size and intergenerational social mobility during the fertility transition. Demographic Research 24, 313–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Von Stumm, S., Gale, C. R., Batty, G. D. & Deary, I. J. (2009) Childhood intelligence, locus of control and behaviour disturbance as determinants of intergenerational social mobility: British Cohort Study 1970. Intelligence 37, 329–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Von Stumm, S., Macintyre, S., Batty, D. G., Clark, H. & Deary, I. J. (2010) Intelligence, social class of origin, childhood behavior disturbance and education as predictors of status attainment in midlife in men: the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s study. Intelligence 38, 202–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waller, J. H. (1971) Achievement and social mobility: relationships amongst IQ score, education and occupation in two generations. Social Biology 18, 252–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolniak, G. C., Seifert, T. A., Reed, E. J. & Pascarella, E. T. (2008) College majors and social mobility. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 26, 123–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zajonc, R. B. (1976) Family configuration and intelligence. Science 192, 227–236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zajonc, R. B. & Markus, G. B. (1975) Birth order and intellectual development. Psychological Review 82, 74–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar