14.02.2025New article by Kaspar Burger, Francesca Mele et al: «The intergenerational reproduction of self-direction at work: Revisiting Class and Conformity»

Melvin Kohn's monograph, Class and Conformity, posits that parents prepare their children for similar work conditions they experience. His research highlights the influence of parental self-direction at work on child-rearing values and children's self-directed values. Using longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study, this study tests Kohn's theory and finds that self-direction at work is transmitted across generations through intrinsic work values. These values also predict educational attainment in the second generation, contributing to socioeconomic inequality. The findings enhance our understanding of the intergenerational transmission of advantage.

The article is published in Social Forces and authored by Dr. Kaspar Burger (Jacobs Center for Youth Developement JCPYD), Francesca Mele (JCPYD and University of Potsdam), Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson, Jeylan Mortimer,  and Xiaowen Han.

The article is downloadablehere.

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