Social Mobility, Social Capital and Perceived Well-being in the United Kingdom

• In Event: 519 - Section on Race, Class and Gender Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 04. Adding New Intersections

Abstract

This paper examines intergenerational mobility effects on social capital and perceived wellbeing in contemporary UK society. Drawing on data from the UK Longitudinal Household Panel Survey, we measure four types of formal and informal social network (civic engagement, neighbourhood cohesion, diversity and size of social networks) and use three indictors for perceived wellbeing. We find that social capital plays a significant role on wellbeing but the impact is much smaller than that of mobility trajectory class. Class is also more closely related to the formal than the informal domains of social network. Demographic attributes show some influences but social network, financial situation, physical health, employment status, and prior levels of wellbeing in particularly, have more salient effects on wellbeing. Over and above all this, class as an indicator of social reproduction is shown to have a persistent and systematic influence. Overall, the analysis suggests that while enriching social connection would contribute to wellbeing, reducing class-linked inequality is of fundamental importance.

Author

• Yaojun Li, Manchester University