Age Structuring of the Social Stratification Process in Mexico

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the ways in which the association between family socioeconomic background and three outcomes of the social stratification process (school attendance, educational attainment, and occupational status) are modulated by age. We adapt Blau and Duncan’s classic model of attainment to incorporate variations by individual time and historical context, as well as the possible effects of the demographic composition of the household. Our results, based on longitudinal data from Mexico, show that the effects of family background are indeed mediated by age, thus reflecting an “age structuring” of the social stratification process. Age effects reflect either “cumulative” or “transitional” patterns with different analytical implications, as well as important variations among birth cohorts. This leads us to highlight the importance of incorporating the life course perspective to studies on the intergenerational transmission of social inequality.