In today's economy, intergenerational mobility is a measure of the ability of a person, family, or other group to change in economic status, usually measured by income. This economic mobility impacts the economic well-being of society as a whole and has profound consequences for an individual's future. According to past research, intergenerational mobility shows that a person's income and status among his or her children can sometimes extend sweetly and sometimes brutally.
Research shows that intergenerational mobility is an indicator of social mobility, and this mobility is not only reflected in individual efforts, but is also affected by many social structural factors.
According to research, economic mobility can be divided into intergenerational mobility and same-generation mobility. Intergenerational mobility measures the change in the economic status a person can achieve based on the income and social status of his or her parents. Generational mobility, on the other hand, takes into account changes in a person's earnings over their working life.
Intergenerational mobility is not just relative to parents' income, but also involves absolute mobility, which is the overall manifestation of changes in a family's economic situation over time.
In many countries, including the United States, research shows that intergenerational mobility is relatively low. Recent data shows that economic mobility in the United States is much lower than in countries such as Canada, Denmark, and Finland. This prompted a rethinking of the idea of America as a "land of opportunity."
According to research, whether children grow up in low-income families or children from wealthy families, their economic future is largely affected by their family background. This means that opportunities for financial success are often unfair.
Previous research has pointed out that in the United States, children born into low-income families have a 42% chance of remaining at the bottom of the income ladder. This phenomenon indicates that the mobility of economic opportunities is restricted.
Education is widely regarded as an important tool for improving economic mobility. The acquisition of education is closely related to a person's future income growth. In fact, based on past data analysis, individuals with higher education are more likely to achieve financial success than those without higher education.
On gender, research shows that women's incomes have increased significantly over the past few decades, allowing them to increase their economic mobility. Especially in the balance between family and work, women's career development also plays an important role.
For economic mobility, geography also plays an important role. Research shows that children born in low-income communities will have significantly higher future family income if they grow up in high-income communities. This emphasizes the impact of geography on economic opportunity.
Regarding race, the study noted that although the incomes of both white and black families have increased since the 1970s, black families have experienced much lower growth than white families. This once again reveals the deep roots of economic inequality.
This economic inequality is not only reflected in current income, but also amplified in potential intergenerational mobility, making the economic opportunities of different ethnic groups significantly uneven.
Intergenerational mobility is not only related to the future development of individuals, but also closely related to the economic structure of the entire society. In the increasingly complex context of contemporary society, how to break this dilemma and improve everyone's ability to receive fair education and economic opportunities has become a top priority. In the future, how can we ensure that every child can pursue better life opportunities and enjoy greater economic mobility?