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Does intergenerational mobility shape psychological distress? Sorokin revisited.
Jason N Houle1, Molly A Martin1
1Department of Sociology & Population Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
Research in Social Stratification and Mobility
|August 26, 2014
Summary
Social mobility does not increase psychological distress. Men who left farming origins reported less depression (CES-D) than those who remained farmers or stayed in non-mobile higher classes.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sorokin's hypothesis posits higher psychological distress in socially mobile individuals.
- Intergenerational occupational mobility is a key factor in social stratification research.
- Psychological distress, measured by the CES-D scale, is a significant public health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between intergenerational occupational mobility and psychological distress.
- To test Sorokin's hypothesis using empirical data.
- To examine variations in distress across different social origins and mobility patterns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS).
- Employed Sobel's Diagonal Mobility Models for analysis.
- Measured psychological distress using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale.
Main Results:
- Found little evidence supporting Sorokin's hypothesis regarding increased distress among mobile individuals.
- Identified that men who left farming origins reported significantly less psychological distress.
- Observed that mobile men from farming backgrounds were less distressed than non-mobile farmers and men in higher social classes.
Conclusions:
- The association between social mobility and psychological distress is not uniform.
- Specific social origins, like farming, and contextual factors influence distress levels.
- Leaving arduous occupations may lead to improved well-being and reduced psychological distress.
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