Social Mobility: Crash Course Sociology #26

Summary

The script explores the concept of social mobility in the United States, questioning the reality of the American Dream. It defines intragenerational and intergenerational mobility, and distinguishes between absolute and relative mobility. Despite an overall upward trend in economic terms, recent studies show a decline in absolute mobility, with income growth concentrated at the top, leaving the majority with stagnant incomes. The script also highlights disparities in mobility based on race, gender, and education, with Black Americans and women facing particular challenges. It concludes by reflecting on whether America still offers equal opportunities for social advancement.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The concept of social mobility, or the movement up or down the social ladder, is central to the American Dream of equal opportunity.
• 🔍 There are two main types of social mobility: intragenerational (within a person's lifetime) and intergenerational (across generations).
• 📊 Absolute mobility refers to an individual's progress in an absolute sense, like earning more money than before, while relative mobility compares an individual's progress to others in society.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A study shows that about one-third of US men end up in the same type of job as their fathers, indicating commonality in social class.
• 📈 Historically, there has been an overall upward trend in absolute mobility in the US, with median family income rising significantly from the mid-20th century to the present.
• 📉 Recent trends, however, show a decline in absolute mobility, with economic growth concentrated at the top and less improvement for the rest of the population.
• 💼 Most people tend to remain in the same social class as their parents, with about 80 percent experiencing horizontal social mobility.
• 🏛️ Social mobility is influenced by factors such as race, gender, and education, with disparities in opportunities and outcomes among different groups.
• 👶 Children born into poverty are less likely to escape it, with significant differences in educational attainment and economic stability compared to their more advantaged peers.
• 💼 Marriage and dual incomes can significantly impact social mobility, as two incomes generally facilitate greater wealth accumulation and social advancement.
• 🌐 The diminishing availability of stable, well-paying jobs in industries like manufacturing has contributed to reduced social mobility for less-educated workers.

Q & A

What is the concept of 'rags to riches' and why is it appealing?

The 'rags to riches' concept refers to the idea of someone starting from a poor or humble background and achieving wealth or success. It is appealing because it embodies the notion that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination, which is a core part of the American Dream.

What does the term 'social mobility' mean in the context of the script?

Social mobility refers to the ability of individuals or groups to move up or down the social hierarchy. It is typically measured by changes in social position, such as income, occupation, or education, over time or across generations.

What is the difference between intragenerational and intergenerational mobility?

Intragenerational mobility refers to changes in social position within an individual's lifetime, while intergenerational mobility refers to changes in social position across generations, comparing one's social status to that of their parents at the same age.

How is absolute mobility different from relative mobility?

Absolute mobility is about an individual's improvement in social status in absolute terms, such as income or occupation, regardless of others' status. Relative mobility, on the other hand, is about an individual's change in social position compared to the rest of society, taking into account how others are faring.

What does the study on absolute intergenerational mobility reveal about job inheritance in the US?

The study reveals that about one-third of US men end up in the same type of job as their fathers, indicating a significant degree of job inheritance. However, there are also notable percentages of upwardly and downwardly mobile individuals.

What is horizontal social mobility, and how common is it among children in the US?

Horizontal social mobility is when individuals work in a different occupation than their parents but remain in a similar social position. It is quite common, with about 80 percent of children experiencing this type of mobility.

How has the long-term trend in social mobility in the US been, and what factors have contributed to it?

The long-term trend in social mobility in the US has been upwards, with median annual family income rising steadily throughout the 20th century due to factors like industrialization and economic growth.

What recent trends suggest a decline in absolute mobility in the US?

Recent trends suggest a decline in absolute mobility due to economic growth being concentrated at the top of the income distribution, leading to flat family incomes for the majority of the population and less upward mobility.

How does social mobility differ by race and ethnicity in the US?

Social mobility differs by race and ethnicity, with White Americans experiencing more upward mobility than Black Americans. For instance, a higher percentage of Black Americans born at the bottom of the income distribution remain there as adults compared to their White counterparts.

What impact does gender have on social mobility, and how has it changed over time?

Over the last half-century, women have experienced absolute mobility with a narrowing income gap between men and women. However, women born at the bottom of the social class ladder are more likely to remain there than men, and they also experience more downward mobility.

How does marriage influence social mobility, and why?

Marriage can significantly influence social mobility because it often leads to two incomes, which can accelerate wealth accumulation and make it easier to ascend the social ladder. This is particularly true for women, who traditionally have lower earnings than men.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The American Dream and Social Mobility

The paragraph discusses the allure of the 'rags to riches' narrative and its embodiment in the United States' identity as a land of opportunity. It questions whether social mobility is a reality or a myth. The text introduces different types of social mobility: intragenerational (within a person's lifetime) and intergenerational (across generations), as well as absolute (changes in well-being regardless of others) and relative mobility (changes in social position compared to peers). It explains how social mobility can be measured, either quantitatively through economic indicators like income or qualitatively through occupational status. The paragraph also presents statistics on absolute intergenerational mobility, showing that about one-third of US men end up in the same job as their fathers, with similar percentages for upward and downward mobility. It highlights that most children experience horizontal social mobility, remaining in a similar social position as their parents despite working in different occupations.

05:00

📊 Trends and Disparities in Social Mobility

This paragraph delves into the trends and disparities in social mobility within the United States. It acknowledges the long-term upward trend in absolute mobility due to industrialization and economic growth, as evidenced by the increase in median family income from $34,000 in 1955 to $70,000 in 2015. However, it also points out that recent trends have been less positive, with economic growth disproportionately benefiting the top earners since the 1970s, leading to a decline in absolute mobility for the rest of the population. The paragraph cites a study showing that while 90% of children born in the 1940s earned more than their parents, only 50% of those born in the 1980s did. It also discusses the stagnation of intragenerational mobility, with most people remaining on the same social rung as their starting point. The paragraph further explores how social mobility varies by race, ethnicity, and gender, noting that Black Americans face greater challenges in upward mobility and are more likely to experience downward mobility compared to White Americans. It also touches on the impact of gender on social mobility, with women experiencing absolute mobility in terms of wage growth but still facing disparities in opportunity and the likelihood of remaining in or falling from the bottom of the social class ladder.

Keywords

💡Rags to riches

A 'rags to riches' story is a narrative trope where a character starts from a poor or humble beginning and achieves success, wealth, or recognition. In the context of the video, this concept is used to introduce the allure of the American Dream, where anyone, regardless of their origins, can achieve success through hard work. The video questions whether this is a reality or merely a dream.

💡Social mobility

Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or families within or between social classes or strata in a society. The video discusses this concept to explore whether individuals in the United States can change their social and economic status. It is central to the discussion on whether the American Dream is attainable.

💡Intragenerational mobility

Intragenerational mobility is the change in social status or economic position that an individual experiences over their lifetime. The video uses this term to differentiate between an individual's progress within their own lifetime versus the progress made across generations, which is intergenerational mobility.

💡Intergenerational mobility

Intergenerational mobility is the movement in social or economic status across generations. The video discusses this to assess whether children are better off than their parents were at the same age, indicating the degree to which opportunities are passed down or improved upon within families.

💡Absolute mobility

Absolute mobility is the change in an individual's social or economic status in absolute terms, without considering the status of others. The video uses this concept to discuss whether individuals are better off than they were in the past, using income as a measure, such as earning more now than they did ten years ago.

💡Relative mobility

Relative mobility is the change in an individual's social or economic status in comparison to others in society. The video explains this by contrasting it with absolute mobility, noting that even if an individual earns more than they did in the past, they might still be earning less than their peers, indicating a lack of relative mobility.

💡Horizontal social mobility

Horizontal social mobility is a term used when individuals change occupations but remain within the same social class or status. The video highlights that about 80 percent of children experience this type of mobility, suggesting that while they may work in different jobs, their overall social standing does not significantly change.

💡Economic growth

Economic growth refers to the increase in the production of goods and services in an economy over time. The video discusses how economic growth has been uneven, with most gains accruing to the top of the income distribution, leading to less absolute mobility for the majority of Americans.

💡Income inequality

Income inequality is the unequal distribution of income among a population. The video mentions that growing income inequality in the United States has made social mobility more difficult, as the benefits of economic growth are not evenly shared, impacting the ability of individuals to move up the social ladder.

💡Socioeconomic status (SES)

Socioeconomic status is a measure of an individual's or family's economic and social position in relation to others, often including income, education, and occupation. The video uses SES to discuss how children's educational and occupational outcomes are influenced by their family's socioeconomic status, with children from higher SES backgrounds faring better.

💡Race and social mobility

The video discusses how race influences social mobility, noting that Black Americans face lower rates of upward mobility and higher rates of downward mobility compared to White Americans. This highlights the systemic barriers that can affect social mobility for different racial and ethnic groups.

Highlights

The appeal of rags to riches stories and the American Dream of social mobility.

Definition of intragenerational mobility: movement during one's lifetime.

Definition of intergenerational mobility: movement across generations.

Definition of absolute mobility: movement in absolute terms.

Definition of relative mobility: movement compared to society.

Quantitative measures of economic mobility through income comparison.

Qualitative measures of social mobility through occupational status.

Study findings on absolute intergenerational mobility in the US.

Prevalence of horizontal social mobility: similar social position across different occupations.

Long-term upward trend in social mobility due to industrialization.

Recent decline in absolute mobility since the 1970s due to economic growth at the top.

Stagnation in social mobility within a single generation.

Persistent social class differences by race and ethnicity.

Research on race and social mobility in Baltimore area children.

Impact of socioeconomic status on educational attainment and class at age 28.

Gender differences in social mobility and the narrowing income gap.

Challenges for women born at the bottom of the social class ladder.

The role of marriage in social mobility and wealth accumulation.

Current state of social mobility in the US and the impact of income inequality.

Decline in manufacturing jobs and its effect on social mobility.

Summary of social mobility trends and the factors influencing them.

Transcripts

Everyone loves a good rags to riches story.

Books and movies and music are full of this idea.

Whether it’s Gatsby turning himself from a nobody to a somebody, or Drake starting from the bottom,

there’s something appealing about the idea that anyone can make it, if they try hard enough.

And more than maybe anywhere else, that idea is embraced in the United States, where the mythos of the land of opportunity is practically part of our foundation.

But is the US a land of opportunity?

Can anyone move up the rungs of the social ladder?

Or is the American Dream just that: a dream?

To get a handle on the answer, we have to understand changes in social position – or what sociologists call social mobility.

[Theme Music]

There are a few different types of social mobility, so let’s get some definitions straight first.

Intragenerational mobility is how a person moves up or down the social ladder during their lifetime.

Intergenerational mobility, however, is about movement in social position across generations.

Are you doing better or worse than your parents were when they were your age?

There’s also absolute versus relative mobility.

Absolute mobility is when you move up or down in absolute terms – are you better or worse than before?

Like, if you make $50,000 a year now and made $40,000 10 years ago, you experienced upward mobility in an absolute sense.

But what if all your peers who were making the same amount ten years ago are now making $65,000 a year?

Yes, you’re still better off than you were 10 years ago, but you’re doing worse relative to your peers.

Relative mobility is how you move up or down in social position compared to the rest of society.

We can measure social mobility quantitatively, using measures of economic mobility, like by comparing your income to your parent’s income at the same age.

Or we can look at mobility using qualitative measures.

A common measure used by sociologists is occupational status.

If your father worked in a blue collar job, what’s the likelihood that you will too?

A recent study of absolute intergenerational mobility found that about one-third of US men will end up in the same type of job as their fathers,

compared to about 37% who are upwardly mobile, and 32% who are downwardly mobile.

It’s pretty common to remain within the same class group as your parents.

About 80 percent of children experience what’s called horizontal social mobility,

where they work in a different occupation than their parents, but remain in a similar social position.

So, how much social mobility is there in the US?

Well, there’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that if we zoom out and look at absolute mobility across the years, the long term trend in social mobility is upwards.

Partially because of industrialization, median annual family income rose steadily throughout the 20th century, going from around $34,000 in 1955 to $70,000 in 2015.

Standards of living now are much better than they were 60 years ago.

Unfortunately, more recent trends in social mobility have been less rosy.

Since the 1970s, much of the economic growth in income has been at the top of the income distribution.

Meanwhile, family incomes have been pretty flat for the rest of the population.

This unequal growth in incomes has meant less absolute mobility for Americans.

A recent analysis of tax data by a group of economists and sociologists found that absolute mobility has declined over the last half century.

While 90% of children born in the 1940s earned more than their parents as adults, only 50% of children born in the 1980s did.

The other bad news is that within a single generation social mobility is stagnant.

While people generally improve their income over time by gaining education and skills,

most people stay on the same rung of the social ladder that they started on.

Of those born in the bottom income quintile, 36% remain in the bottom quintile as adults.

Only 10% of those born at the bottom end up in the top quintile as adults.

Started at the bottom, now we’re probably still at the bottom, statistically speaking.

And socioeconomic status is sticky at the top, too.

Researchers at the Brookings Institution, including Crash Course Sociology writer Joanna Venator,

found that 30% of those born in the top quintile stay in the top quintile as adults.

Plus, social mobility differs by race/ethnicity, gender, and education.

White Americans see more upward mobility than Black Americans:

half of Black Americans that are born at the bottom of the income distribution are still in the bottom quintile at age 40.

Black Americans also face higher rates of downward mobility, being more likely to move out of the middle class than White Americans:

Let’s go to the Thought Bubble to take a look at research on race and social mobility in action.

In 1982, American sociologists Karl Alexander and Doris Entwisle began following the lives

of a random sample of 800 first grade students growing up in a variety of neighborhoods in the Baltimore area.

What began as a study meant to last only three years eventually ended up lasting 30 years,

as the researchers followed up with the kids throughout their lives, to see the paths that their early circumstances put them on.

Alexander and Entwisle collected data on everything imaginable, interviewing the kids yearly about

who they lived with, where they lived, work history, education, drug use, marriage, childbearing, you name it.

And what they found was that poverty cast a long shadow over the course of these kids’ lives.

45% of kids with higher socioeconomic status, or SES, had gotten a college degree by age 28 – only 4% of low SES kids had.

Those born better off were also more likely to be middle class at age 28.

And these unequal outcomes were heightened for African American kids.

Low SES white kids ended up better off than low SES Black kids.

89% of white high school dropouts were working at age 22 compared to only 40% of black high school dropouts.

And contrary to what The Wire might have made you think about inner-city Baltimore lifestyles

– these differences can’t be explained away by differences in criminal behavior or drug use.

Low SES White men were more likely to use hard drugs, smoke, and binge drink than low SES Black men.

And holding all else constant, a police record was more of an impediment to getting a job for African American men than White men.

Thanks Thought Bubble.

So, the impacts of where you’re born on the social ladder can have far reaching consequences.

And in addition to race, social mobility can also vary by gender.

Over the last half century, women as a whole have experienced absolute mobility –

85% of women earn higher wages than their mothers did.

And the income gap between men and women has narrowed significantly.

In 1980, the average income for a woman was 60% that of men, whereas by 2015 that gap was 8%.

But despite the great strides over the last half century, there are still gaps in opportunity for women.

Women born at the bottom of the social class ladder are more likely to remain there than men –

about half of women born in the bottom quintile are still there at age 40 compared to only about one-third of men.

Also, women born at the bottom experience more downward mobility than men,

with more women than men having family incomes lower than that of their parents.

Some of these differences by gender may be because women are much more likely to head up single parent homes than men are.

Being married is a huge plus for social mobility, because two incomes are better than one.

People who marry tend to accumulate wealth much faster than those who are single, making it easier to ascend the social ladder.

Modern-day Cinderella doesn’t just move up the social ladder by marrying the prince,

she’s also more likely to build a solid 401K and stock portfolio, key sources of wealth.

As we’ve seen, social class mobility depends on where you start and who you are.

So let’s go back to the question we asked at the beginning is America the land of opportunity?

If you’re a glass half full kind of person, you might think so based on some of what we’ve talked about today.

After all, most people are better off than past generations were.

Accounting for inflation, about three times as many Americans make incomes above $100,000 now than did in 1967.

But not all groups have benefitted equally from this economic growth –

your chance at upward mobility can vary a lot by education or race or gender, or where you start on the income distribution.

For those in the middle of the income distribution, earnings growth has stalled for many workers,

but the costs of necessities like healthcare or housing have climbed ever higher.

Manufacturing, an industry that historically provided stable jobs and decent pay to less-educated workers,

has been declining for a while now and was particularly hard hit by the recession from 2007 to 2009.

In the wake of this decline, most of the jobs available for less-educated workers tend to be low-paying service industry jobs,

contributing to lower absolute mobility than we’ve seen in the past.

All of these patterns, plus the growing income inequality we talked about a couple episodes ago,

mean that the rungs of the social mobility ladder in the United States seem to be getting harder to climb.

Today, we talked about intergenerational and intragenerational mobility and the difference between absolute and relative mobility.

We talked about the long run upward social mobility trends in the United States as well as the recent declines in absolute social mobility.

Then, we touched on how opportunities for social mobility differ by your class, race, and gender.

Crash Course Sociology is filmed in the Dr. Cheryl C. Kinney Studio in Missoula, MT, and it's made with the help of all these nice people.

Our Animation Team is Thought Cafe and Crash Course is made with Adobe Creative Cloud.

If you'd like to keep Crash Course free for everyone, forever, you can support the series at Patreon, a crowdfunding platform that allows you to support the content you love.

Speaking of Patreon, we'd like to thank all of our patrons in general, and we'd like to specifically thank our Headmaster of Learning Ben Holden-Crowther.

Thank you so much for your support.