Social Mobility in Italy since the Beginning of the Twentieth Century”, Rivista di Politica Economica

The article deals with the main features of social mobility processes in contemporary Italy and their changes during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Both absolute (intergenerational and career) mobility and patterns of associations between class of origin and destination in three birth cohorts are studied. The analyses confirm a quite modest shift towards greater social fluidity in the allocation of individuals among the different occupational positions. Nevertheless, ascription still prevails over achievement, and this prevalence is strengthened by the process of family formation, which is based on rather effective mechanisms of social closure. [JEL Classification: J62, C10