Parental socioeconomic status in childhood and individual’s attitudes in adulthood

Abstract

The present publication focuses on the relationship between parental socioeconomic status in individual’s childhood and his/her attitude formation in adulthood. Based on prior empirical work on the effects of early life SES on general life outcomes in adulthood, as well as data collected in a series of semistructured interviews (N = 10), for this study we have identified several objects of relationship that can be influenced by the socio-economic situation. Specifically, in the analysis of interviews we have short-listed a number of objects, attitudes towards which were shown to vary across different socioeconomic categories in childhood, e.g. money, housing, food, clothes, time, regulations, schooling, creativity, parents, future spouse, children, friends and strangers. These topics were further developed in the questionnaire to test the results that emerged from the analysis of interviews. The quantitative stage was conducted in the form of self-administered survey (N = 245). Based on the results of ANOVA and regression analysis, those individuals whose parents have had stable to relatively stable financial situation in the past showed little difference from each other, while the individuals with more modest background displayed more distinct attitudes toward time, money, regulations and clothes. Unstable financial situation in childhood in our sample also affected consumer’s behavior regarding clothes — the ‘extra’ money was invested into expensive wardrobe items. Furthermore, depending on their past financial situation, individuals in our sample varied in their attitudes toward money and time. The importance of money as such increased if individual’s financial situation became more favorable throughout the life course. Financial situation in childhood also affected one’s attitudes toward food.