Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries
Abstract This study employs global survey data and multilevel linear models to analyze the effects of contextual factors on intergenerational educational mobility across 49 countries. The first conclusion is that the educational mobility-promoting effects of economic development are stronger in nati...
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05687-x |
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| author | Jiyue Li Qian Zhang |
| author_facet | Jiyue Li Qian Zhang |
| author_sort | Jiyue Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study employs global survey data and multilevel linear models to analyze the effects of contextual factors on intergenerational educational mobility across 49 countries. The first conclusion is that the educational mobility-promoting effects of economic development are stronger in nations with lower levels of inequality than in nations with higher levels. As income inequality rises, its mobility-inhibiting effect would outweigh the facilitation of economic development, implying that income inequality hinders socioeconomic development’s efforts to positively enhance educational mobility. The second is that women’s intergenerational educational mobility is more strongly influenced by macro factors than men’s. When the external social environment improves, women would have more mobile educational attainment and when the social environment deteriorates, women’s educational solidification grows rapidly. The third is that socioeconomic inequality restricts mobilities for the older cohort more noticeably, whereas the younger cohort benefits more from the expanded educational opportunities brought on by economic growth. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf3babccf58f4194bcf2a1751a3b8500 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf3babccf58f4194bcf2a1751a3b85002025-08-24T11:14:04ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-08-0112111210.1057/s41599-025-05687-xEconomic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countriesJiyue Li0Qian Zhang1Institute for Empirical Social Science Research, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityInstitute for Empirical Social Science Research, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityAbstract This study employs global survey data and multilevel linear models to analyze the effects of contextual factors on intergenerational educational mobility across 49 countries. The first conclusion is that the educational mobility-promoting effects of economic development are stronger in nations with lower levels of inequality than in nations with higher levels. As income inequality rises, its mobility-inhibiting effect would outweigh the facilitation of economic development, implying that income inequality hinders socioeconomic development’s efforts to positively enhance educational mobility. The second is that women’s intergenerational educational mobility is more strongly influenced by macro factors than men’s. When the external social environment improves, women would have more mobile educational attainment and when the social environment deteriorates, women’s educational solidification grows rapidly. The third is that socioeconomic inequality restricts mobilities for the older cohort more noticeably, whereas the younger cohort benefits more from the expanded educational opportunities brought on by economic growth.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05687-x |
| spellingShingle | Jiyue Li Qian Zhang Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries |
| title_full | Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries |
| title_fullStr | Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries |
| title_short | Economic development benefits or social inequality hinders? Intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries |
| title_sort | economic development benefits or social inequality hinders intergenerational educational mobility in 49 countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05687-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jiyueli economicdevelopmentbenefitsorsocialinequalityhindersintergenerationaleducationalmobilityin49countries AT qianzhang economicdevelopmentbenefitsorsocialinequalityhindersintergenerationaleducationalmobilityin49countries |