Education, Intergenerational Mobility and Inequality

ECINEQ Working Paper No. 2012-261

46 Pages Posted: 9 Jun 2013

See all articles by Nathalie Chusseau

Nathalie Chusseau

University of Lille I - EQUIPPE; MESHS-CNRS

Joël Hellier

LEM-CNRS (UMR 9221)

Date Written: September 1, 2012

Abstract

We review the economic literature on the impacts of the several dimensions of education upon intergenerational inequality persistency. It is firstly outlined that the critical increase in the population education level in all countries has not come with lower inequality. The basic tools of education and intergenerational mobility modelling are subsequently exposed (OLG, education functions, education decision making etc.). The following two theoretical sections analyse the cases in which education leads (i) to human capital convergence in the long term and (ii) to social stratification with the emerging of under-education traps (situations in which certain dynasties remain continuously under-educated). A simple modelling of both cases is proposed for two types of educational decisions, one based on the family expenditure on education and the other on the time spent for education. The factors that generate social stratification and under education traps are especially underlined. The empirical literature on the determinants of educational attainment and intergenerational mobility is finally reviewed. This reveals the crucial impact of family backgrounds on educational attainment in all countries. It also demonstrates huge and lasting differences across countries in terms of intergenerational mobility.

Keywords: Education, Human capital, Intergenerational mobility, Social stratification

JEL Classification: E24, I24, J24, J62

Suggested Citation

Chusseau, Nathalie and Hellier, Joël, Education, Intergenerational Mobility and Inequality (September 1, 2012). ECINEQ Working Paper No. 2012-261, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2276454 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2276454

Nathalie Chusseau (Contact Author)

University of Lille I - EQUIPPE ( email )

Université Lille 1 Sciences et Technologies
Faculté des Sciences Economiques et Sociales
Villeneuve d'Ascq, 59655
France

MESHS-CNRS ( email )

2 Rue des Canonniers
Lille, 59000
France

Joël Hellier

LEM-CNRS (UMR 9221) ( email )

104, avenue du peuple Belge
Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, 59655
France

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