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Sponsored vs. Contest Mobility Tested: Examining Socioeconomic Disparities in Adolescents’ Expected Occupational Status in the United States and the United Kingdom

Thu, April 24, 9:50 to 11:20am MDT (9:50 to 11:20am MDT), The Colorado Convention Center, Floor: Ballroom Level, Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3

Abstract

Drawing on Turner’s (1960) concepts of sponsored and contest mobility, this study examined the influence of family socioeconomic status (SES) on adolescents’ expected occupational status in the United States and the United Kingdom, using data from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment. Our findings revealed that American adolescents generally had higher expected occupational status compared to their British counterparts. Additionally, American adolescents’ occupational expectations were less influenced by their socioeconomic backgrounds than those of British adolescents. These results support Turner’s theory, suggesting that the impact of family SES on students’ occupational expectations is more pronounced in a sponsored mobility society like the United Kingdom than in a contest mobility society like the United States.

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