Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • More
    • Feedback
    • Request JHR at your library
    • Research Highlights
  • Alerts
  • Special Issue
  • Other Publications
    • UWP

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Human Resources
  • Other Publications
    • UWP
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Human Resources

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • More
    • Feedback
    • Request JHR at your library
    • Research Highlights
  • Alerts
  • Special Issue
  • Follow uwp on Twitter
Research ArticleArticles

The name says it all Multigenerational social mobility in Basel (Switzerland), 1550–2019

Melanie Häner and Christoph A. Schaltegger
Published online before print January 13, 2022, 0621-11749R2; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0621-11749R2
Melanie Häner
Melanie Häner is Head of the Social Policy Department at the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy (IWP) at the University of Lucerne.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Christoph A. Schaltegger
Christoph A. Schaltegger is a full professor and Director of the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy (IWP) at the University of Lucerne. He is also the founding dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Lucerne and additionally teaches at the University of St. Gallen.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

We analyze multigenerational social mobility by drawing on a novel hand-collected dataset from Basel (1550–2019) and using a new surname-based approach. We find an average parent-child persistence of about 0.4 and an average grandparent-child persistence of about 0.2 in a three-generational model applied to a time span of more than 450 years. A cyclical pattern indicates that social mobility was lowest in wartime generations, with spreading afterward. We measure a statistically significant additional influence of the grandparental generation but not of earlier generations. This reveals the importance of multigenerational analyses to examine equal opportunities in society.

Keywords:
  • multigenerational social mobility
  • education
  • wealth
  • guilds
  • surnames
JEL Classification:
  • I24
  • J62
  • N33
  • N34

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Human Resources: 58 (5)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 58, Issue 5
1 Sep 2023
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Back Matter (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Human Resources.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
The name says it all Multigenerational social mobility in Basel (Switzerland), 1550–2019
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Human Resources
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Human Resources web site.
Citation Tools
The name says it all Multigenerational social mobility in Basel (Switzerland), 1550–2019
Melanie Häner, Christoph A. Schaltegger
Journal of Human Resources Jan 2022, 0621-11749R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0621-11749R2

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
The name says it all Multigenerational social mobility in Basel (Switzerland), 1550–2019
Melanie Häner, Christoph A. Schaltegger
Journal of Human Resources Jan 2022, 0621-11749R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0621-11749R2
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Taken by Storm
  • Selection into Identification in Fixed Effects Models, with Application to Head Start
  • Dynamics of the Gender Gap in High Math Achievement
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • multigenerational social mobility
  • education
  • wealth
  • guilds
  • surnames
  • I24
  • J62
  • N33
  • N34
UWP

© 2023 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Powered by HighWire