Indirect pathways of multigenerational persistence: the role of uncles and assortative mating in the Netherlands, 1857-1922

Recent research into intergenerational social mobility has examined the association between the socioeconomic position of grandparents (G1) and their grandchildren (G3), but it remains unclear why G1-G3 associations arise. Prevailing explanations focus on whether grandparents have a true direct influence on their grandchildren or an indirect one via omitted parental characteristics. We argue that there may be other important indirect pathways of multigenerational persistence: grandparents can transmit resources via uncles and aunts, and they can encourage assortative mating in the middle gener... Mehr ...