Measuring and Understanding Intergenerational Social Mobility: Policy, Technology and Education Perspectives Literature Review

Yibi Fang; Jiaying Chen

doi:10.63313/FPM.2003

Authors

Yibi Fang Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China Author
Jiaying Chen Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/FPM.2003

Keywords:

Intergenerational Social Mobility, Policy Effects, Technological Change, Educational Mechanisms

Abstract

Drawing on three dimensions—policy, technology and education—this paper systematically examines the key factors and mechanisms influencing research on intergenerational social mobility. The study finds that, at the policy level, measures such as compulsory education, the allocation of teaching resources and fiscal transfers generally exhibit a ‘bottom-up’ orientation, thereby playing a more significant role in promoting intergenerational mobility among disadvantaged groups;at the technological level, digital finance and internet usage provide new pathways for intergenerational mobility by alleviating liquidity constraints and expanding information channels, although the distribution of technological dividends is uneven across different groups; at the educational level, education serves as a key mediator for achieving upward intergenerational mobility, yet may also become a tool for class reproduction under conditions of unequal resource distribution, with its effects moderated by factors such as educational level, gender and family background.Current research suffers from limitations such as relatively isolated perspectives, insufficient attention to the internal structure of education, and a need for more in-depth examination of the digital divide. Future research could construct an integrated analytical framework, deepen studies on the heterogeneity within the internal structure of education, and broaden the research perspective on the digital divide.

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