Study Alston & Knapp (1974): study US 1972

Public

adults, general population, USA, 1972

Survey name

Nat Opinion Research

Sample

Respondents

N = 2000

Non Response

Assessment

Interview: face-to-face

Correlate

Authors's Label

Intergenerational mobility

Our Classification

Distribution

Lower than father  : white 50%, black 55%
Same as father       : white 11%, black 11%
Higher than father  : white 39%, black 34%

Operationalization

1: upward generational mobility
0: downward generational mobility

Intergenerational mobility is measured by comparing the occupational prestige of the father with the occupational prestige of the respondent. Each occupation was assigned a prestige score. The prestige scores for each occupation were determined by asking respondents in a previous survey to rate the social standing of occupations on a nine-point scale. The respondents were asked to evaluate the prestige of a list of occupations by giving each a score from one to nine: one being the lowest rating, five the middle, and nine the highest.

Observed Relation with Happiness