The Limited Concerns of Social Mobility Research

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2307014
AutoresRobin Lin Miller (0000-0003-3035-6932, autor de correspondencia), Robert Miller (0000-0002-6801-6506)
Año1998
Volumen46
Número4
Páginas145-163
Fecha de publicación1998-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCurrent Sociology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0011-3921 • E-ISSN: 1461-7064
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0011392198046004010
OpenAlexW2106415556
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10

An anomaly exists between the high level of development and achievement of research into social mobility and its limited impact upon social stratification theory. Possibilities for increasing the substantive relevance of mobility research through the broadening of its conceptualization are discussed. The restrictions of most analyses to a limited set of data collection points - parents' occupation, first job and present occupation - limits the possible issues that an analysis can address and raises serious questions of reliability. Insufficient consideration has been given by researchers to the 'commonsensical' definitions of mobility they employ. Gender in social stratification research remains an area requiring conceptual development. Analysis procedures that assume full-time employment in the formal economy as a norm are becoming less valid with time, particularly if analyses are to be extended beyond western nations. A narrow focus on occupational strata leads to neglect of questions of group mobility, family effects and structural and historical change. The mainstream of mobility research continues to be driven mainly by analytic techniques rather than conceptual concerns

Conceptual framework · Conceptualization · Economics · Epistemology · Mainstream · Neglect · Norm (philosophy) · Political science · Positive economics · Social mobility · Social science · Social stratification · Sociology · Computer Science · Employment and Welfare Studies · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Law · Psychology · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics