Browsing by Subject "Equality of Opportunity"

This study provides an empirical examination of intergenerational mobility patterns in the Soviet Union, a topic underexplored due to limited micro-level data availability. Utilising the Soviet Interview Project (SIP) dataset, this study investigates the intergenerational relationships regarding income, educational attainment and occupational status within the Soviet context. The results reveal a diminishing trend of intergenerational income persistence in Soviet society and suggest an increasing dependence of income on factors beyond family background, as one progresses in career. Conversely, the parental occupational status remains influential on children’s occupation class over time. In addition, statistically significant divergences of intergenerational income persistence are found across genders during the later stage of careers. The study also highlights the disparities in the intergenerational transmission of occupational status among different classes. The results reveal that the elder generation of Soviet intelligentsia is more likely to transmit their occupations to their children than leaders or managerial personnel. By evaluating the educational levels of the two groups and considering the role of informal practices, this study proposes a mechanism behind the differentials building on the theory of cultural capital. The nuances of the findings within the now-defunct Soviet context might imply the importance of evaluation of socioeconomic norms and non-monetary factors in modern social mobility studies, especially in societies undergoing drastic changes.