Social Mobility and Changes in Socioeconomic Status During Early Childhood: The Influence on Vocabulary Development

• In Event: Explaining Family Effects on Early Child Development: Results Based on European Birth Cohort Studies

Abstract

Household socioeconomic factors, such as parents education level and income, have been identified and long accepted as significant predictors of children’s educational and life outcomes (Erola et al., 2016, Schoon et al., 2010). In the UK this has led to long-standing policies and interventions focused around social mobility, referring to changes in economic status between parent and child, which aim to provide families with opportunities to improve their socioeconomic status (SES).
The success of these policies and interventions is often mixed (Social Mobility Commission, 2020). Of increasing concern, and further complication for social mobility, is the rise in economic and household instability, for example, wide-spread use of zero-hour and flexible employment contracts, increases in child poverty and social care benefits.
While previous research has explored the impact of certain factors changing over-time this is often focused after children have started school (Treadaway, 2014). The influence of changing SES during the early years (0-5 years old) is less clear and understood. Therefore, we have sought to explore the prevalence of changing SES during childhood and its influence on vocabulary outcomes. We also look to disaggregate findings by gender, with the aim to investigate whether any potential impact of changing SES was experienced equally by boys and girls.
Data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) was used, the MCS is a UK representative longitudinal birth cohort study that began in 2000 with nearly 19,000 families. Data regarding child development, and socio-economic factors (i.e. parent/carer income, occupation and education) are collected at regular intervals. For this study we used data from the early years waves (when children are 9 months, 3 years and 5 years old) as well as the later childhood wave (14 years old) so the longer-term impact of early SES changes could be included.
Initial analysis into the prevalence of changing SES showed that during the first 5 years of a child’s life 37% of households experienced a significant change in occupational status, with nearly half (45%) of these changes being into lower status occupations (i.e. labourer or train driver). During the same time period 9% of households moved below the 60% median equivalised income, a common poverty indicator used by the OECD.
Analysis of vocabulary outcomes are currently being undertaken with findings and methods being presented fully as part of the session. Initial findings suggest social mobility is a more complex issue, rather than the simple ‘zero-sum game’ it is often pitched as. When comparing results for boys and girls we also observe variation between the groups, suggesting that in certain circumstances one group benefits more from changes in SES.
These findings therefore have the potential to contribute to the understanding of how changes and the variability of socio-economic factors can impact child development, but also how these changes may be felt more strongly by particular groups. This has implications for policy and therefore along with presenting results, as part of the session we will highlight policy implications of this work and recommendations.

Authors

• Helen Wareham, Newcastle University

• James Law, Newcastle University