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Social Mobility in Nineteenth Century Rural Sweden - A Micro Level Analysis

Dribe, Martin LU and Svensson, Patrick LU (2008) In Scandinavian Economic History Review 56(2). p.122-141
Abstract
Preindustrial rural societies have often been pictured as stationary and immobile both geographically and socially. In the last decades this image has begun to change, especially as regards geographical mobility, while our knowledge of social mobility of rural preindustrial Europe is still rudimentary. This study focus on social attainment and mobility in a rural community of nineteenth century southern Sweden, making use of high quality micro-level demographic and socioeconomic data. We show that intergenerational social mobility was quite frequent. Downward mobility was more prevalent than upward, and also increased over time. Social attainment and mobility was determined by a combination of inherited factors and individual agency.... (More)
Preindustrial rural societies have often been pictured as stationary and immobile both geographically and socially. In the last decades this image has begun to change, especially as regards geographical mobility, while our knowledge of social mobility of rural preindustrial Europe is still rudimentary. This study focus on social attainment and mobility in a rural community of nineteenth century southern Sweden, making use of high quality micro-level demographic and socioeconomic data. We show that intergenerational social mobility was quite frequent. Downward mobility was more prevalent than upward, and also increased over time. Social attainment and mobility was determined by a combination of inherited factors and individual agency. Social origin was of major importance, and so was the social origin of the spouse, which points to the crucial role played by partner selection in determining individual social outcome. Availability of networks as measured by place of birth also played a role in social achievement. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Economic History Review
volume
56
issue
2
pages
122 - 141
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:48249122037
ISSN
0358-5522
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b85ff1d2-b677-4715-833f-1d0e342a2642 (old id 1387960)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 14:06:19
date last changed
2022-03-31 21:59:27
@article{b85ff1d2-b677-4715-833f-1d0e342a2642,
  abstract     = {{Preindustrial rural societies have often been pictured as stationary and immobile both geographically and socially. In the last decades this image has begun to change, especially as regards geographical mobility, while our knowledge of social mobility of rural preindustrial Europe is still rudimentary. This study focus on social attainment and mobility in a rural community of nineteenth century southern Sweden, making use of high quality micro-level demographic and socioeconomic data. We show that intergenerational social mobility was quite frequent. Downward mobility was more prevalent than upward, and also increased over time. Social attainment and mobility was determined by a combination of inherited factors and individual agency. Social origin was of major importance, and so was the social origin of the spouse, which points to the crucial role played by partner selection in determining individual social outcome. Availability of networks as measured by place of birth also played a role in social achievement.}},
  author       = {{Dribe, Martin and Svensson, Patrick}},
  issn         = {{0358-5522}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{122--141}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Economic History Review}},
  title        = {{Social Mobility in Nineteenth Century Rural Sweden - A Micro Level Analysis}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}