Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility in Schooling: The Case of Mexico

Abstract

The authors consider two hypotheses for crowding at the lower-secondary level and the reversal in intergenerational mobility: 1) the economic crisis of the 1980s and 2) institutional barriers to the continued expansion of schooling. Though the crisis appears to have played a role we find evidence that institutional barriers are also important. The existence of these barriers is problematic for the long-term prospects of educational expansion because it suggests a deep-rooted limit of the system and not just a temporary setback. This article proceeds as follows. Section II discusses the links between schooling inequality intergenerational mobility in schooling and income inequality. Section III describes the data and provides an overview of educational expansion over the past 47 years. Section IV establishes trends in intergenerational schooling mobility. Section V ponders the causes and implications of the recent slowdown in schooling mobility and Section VI concludes. (excerpt modified)