Social Origin as an Interest-bearing Asset: Family Background and Labour-market Rewards among Employees in Sweden

Abstract

We analysed the effects of social origin on social class and income for a large sample of Swedish employees, aged 25-45, in 1990. The statistical models are particularly strong in handling mediating effects of educational attainment. The results show that, controlling for level and type of education, sons and daughters of higher white-collar origin have substantially greater chances of reaching service class positions than children of unskilled working class origin. We also found origin effects on income. In a model evaluating level, type of education and work experience, the advantage to income of having a white-collar origin is about 3-8 per cent. While origin effects on class position appear at the onset of work life, origin effects on income tend to be more evident throughout people's careers. Hypotheses about four mechanisms behind origin effects- Networks, Favouritism, Productivity, and Aspirations - are discussed on the basis of the results.