Social Mobility

Question 1

Social Mobility in the long run: China from 1300-1900

Answer 1

Social mobility: A change to a persons socioeconomic status in relation to parents or throughout one’s lifetime

Key findings
- Inequality is a key determinant of social mobility, particularly educational inequality
- Within-dynasty inequality -> increase in social mobility. increases in between-dynasty inequality -> decreased social mobility
- Comparing the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) to Qing (1644-1911): high-status fathers in Yuan/Ming boost son status generations down the line.
- Low-status sons in Qing dynasty had more upward mobility relative to low-status sons in other 2 dynasties
- Increases in migration -> increases in social mobility & vice versa. However, could be due to selection bias: richer ppl could afford to migrate.

Status inequality is negatively correlated with social mobility
Decreases in status inequality -> decrease in the threshold of upward social mobility
Less educated people have lower social mobility

Limitations
- Dataset (7 extended families in 1 county)
- Hard to believe in a ‘general upward trend in social mobility’ when ‘civil service exams remained the main avenue to wealth & power’ based on paper 2 week 7

Question 2

Kin Networks, Marriage, and Social Mobility in Late Imperial China

Answer 2

Men whose father had an official position were 7.5x more likely to obtain an official position
If grandfather = official position, son = 31% more likely to attain official position relative to other members of the same kin group whose grandfathers did not hold an official position.
Men with official position = 71% more likely to be married
Shifts towards commercialization exacerbated results even more.

Obtaining an official position was more vertically affected via the patriarchy.
The total status of a kin group mattered more for marital attainment.