Research Handbook on Intergenerational Inequality

The Research Handbook on Intergenerational Inequality is motivated by a core question in social science: to what extent does one’s family background and childhood experience predict success in life? This innovative Research Handbook provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary account of research on intergenerational inequality, focusing on its origins in sociology and economics.

Expert contributors explore patterns of intergenerational persistence, how mobility varies for different groups, and the processes through which intergenerational inequality is produced. Chapters cover a range of novel topics including the intergenerational reproduction of elites, parental joblessness and its intergenerational impact, and the role of migration for intergenerational mobility. Bringing together experts from across the globe and from a variety of social science disciplines, the Research Handbook campaigns for greater cross-fertilisation between disciplinary boundaries and encourages future researchers to develop a deeper understanding of current mobility in order to better inform and improve social policy.

This incisive Research Handbook will serve as a crucial reference point for researchers, scholars and students of social sciences, sociology, social policy, and economics. Its practical applications will also be highly beneficial for policymakers and practitioners working in social affairs.