Abstract
Abstract Research on educational mobility usually studies socioeconomic differences at the mean of children’s academic performance but fails to consider the variation in the shape of socioeconomic differences across the outcome distribution. Theories of social mobility as well as theories about the resource allocation within families predict such variation. We use quantile regression models to estimate variation in socioeconomic differences across the distribution of academic performance using different indicators of family background (parental education, occupation, earnings, and wealth). We apply this approach to data on Germany, Norway, and the United States, three countries that represent different welfare and education regimes that may affect the intergenerational transmission of educational advantage. We find stronger socioeconomic differences at the bottom than at the middle and the smallest differences at the top of the performance distribution. These findings are virtually identical across all four indicators of family background. We also find no cross-national differences in the shape of socioeconomic differences in academic performance.
Highlights
In all advanced, industrialized societies, there are strong associations between family socioeconomic background and children’s life chances measured via educational choices and academic performance (Breen and Jonsson, 2005; Bjorklund and Salvanes, 2011)
If families are mainly motivated by avoiding social downward mobility, we would expect a stronger association between family background and academic performance at the bottom and at the middle than at the top of the performance distribution (Hypothesis H1)
Theories about mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of advantage and theories the about the resource allocation within families predict such variation
Summary
In all advanced, industrialized societies, there are strong associations between family socioeconomic background and children’s life chances measured via educational choices and academic performance (Breen and Jonsson, 2005; Bjorklund and Salvanes, 2011). The Importance of Family Background for Low, Middle, and High Academic Performance Going back to ideas expressed by Boudon (1973), sociologists sometimes distinguish between so-called ‘primary effects’ and ‘secondary effects’ of social origin on children’s educational outcomes (Jackson, 2013). The idea behind this distinction is that socioeconomic differences in educational attainment are due, on the one hand, to socioeconomic differences in academic performance (‘primary effects’) and, on the other hand, to socioeconomic differences in educational choices (‘secondary effects’). Socioeconomically advantaged parents may focus on improving the educational performance of these children
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
