@vandewerfhorstSocialBackgroundCredential2005

(2005) - Herman G. Van de Werfhorst, Robert Andersen

Journal: Acta Sociologica
Link:: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0001699305059945
DOI:: 10.1177/0001699305059945
Links::
Tags:: #paper #Attainment #SocialClass #Mobility #Education
Cite Key:: [@vandewerfhorstSocialBackgroundCredential2005]

Abstract

The primary goal of this article is to examine the impact of credential inflation on educational attainment in twentieth-century United States. To do so, we create a measure of ‘intergenerational credential inflation’ (intergeneration inflation factor) and include it in regression models predicting educational transitions. Using the General Social Surveys of 1972–2000, we find that people are generally less likely to invest in schooling if its value is relatively low. An exception is the final transition to a postgraduate degree, where we find that when its value is low children of parents with postgraduate education are more likely to take it. This finding supports relative risk aversion theory, which assumes that the main goal of children is to avoid downward social class mobility. Perhaps most important, we find that credential inflation is particularly influential on transition probabilities if parents had made the same transition. This pattern is consistent with the information differential thesis that children are more informed about the value of education if their parents acquired it.

Notes

“we find that people are generally less likely to invest in schooling if its value is relatively low” (Van de Werfhorst and Andersen, 2005, p. 321)

“This finding supports relative risk aversion theory, which assumes that the main goal of children is to avoid downward social class mobility. Perhaps most important, we find that credential inflation is particularly influential on transition probabilities if parents had made the same transition.” (Van de Werfhorst and Andersen, 2005, p. 321)

“It is well known that educational attainment is largely affected by social background, particularly the social class and education of parents (Jencks et al., 1972: Sewell et al., 1976; Halsey et al., 1980).” (Van de Werfhorst and Andersen, 2005, p. 321)

“specific educational transitions can be differentiated by social background (Mare, 1980, 1981a; Shavit and Blossfeld, 1993).” (Van de Werfhorst and Andersen, 2005, p. 321)

“Relative risk aversion sheds light on why, relative to working-class children, children of more advanced social classes are more ambitious and achieve higher levels of education (Keller and Zavalloni, 1964; Boudon, 1974; Gambetta, 1987; Goldthorpe, 1996a; Need and De Jong, 2001; Davies et al., 2002)” (Van de Werfhorst and Andersen, 2005, p. 322)

“In the event of an unsuccessful completion of a graduate programme after years of study, this postponement would not be compensated by higher labour market returns (Becker, 1981). Given that the absolute gains are limited, investment in postgraduate studies is perhaps best seen, at least in economic terms, as reflecting a desire to secure one’s relative position to their parents than investment in other educational levels reflects.” (Van de Werfhorst and Andersen, 2005, p. 323)