Changing Structures of Opportunity: A Life-course Perspective on Social Mobility and Reproduction

Analysing trends in the social openness of society has for decades been a central aspect of sociological research on inequality. In this tradition, I describe long-term developments of intergenerational social mobility and reproduction in (West) Germany during the 20th century, paying particular attention to relevant mechanisms and conceptual issues. The empirical analyses draw upon data from all cohorts of the (West) German Life History Study (GLHS). They integrate selected aspects from life-course research and demography into mobility analyses, such as a focus on the family context, links between intergenerational and intragenerational mobility, and a prospective conception of mobility. Results indicate that a trend towards more openness has obviously slowed down or even reversed for the cohorts born after the mid-1950s. Cohorts also differ in the biographical timing when the impact of intergenerational mobility unfolds. Social mobility and reproduction are stepwise processes that are structured by families, employment, and, in particular, education. The analyses demonstrate the value of life-course data for macro-sociological analyses.