Party membership, social ties and upward mobility in Cuba

Bibliographic Data

ID22326207
AuthorsSergio Romano (0000-0002-5912-7060, corresponding author), Sara Romanò Sara Romanò
Year2016
Volume8
Issue1
Publication date2016-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Cuban Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1756-3461 • E-ISSN: 1756-347X
PublisherPluto Journals (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.13169/intejcubastud.8.1.0028
OpenAlexW2462787747
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited52

Several studies from transitional economies focus on the role of political credentials and personal networks in favouring upward mobility. Nevertheless, both topics remained empirically rather unexplored in Cuba. The present article quantitatively explores these topics, thereby trying to fill these gaps. Survey data were collected in 2010–11 in Havana. The sample is composed of workers ( N = 269) and includes information about their social networks. Research findings from this study suggest that (1) political credentials are not a prerequisite for reaching highly remunerated jobs (on the contrary, according to my results, Party members are less frequently found in highly remunerative positions than non-members) and (2) Cubans commonly turn to personal ties, especially if they are strong, in order to successfully complete a job search. Both results are consistent with research findings from transitional economies at a comparable kind of market penetration and with first findings from a social mobility study carried out by the Cuban Centro de Investigaciones Psicológicas y Sociológicas (CIPS 2009)

Business · Demographic economics · Economic geography · Economics · Interpersonal ties · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social mobility · Social science · Sociology · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Employment and Welfare Studies · Law · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy

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