Intergenerational Mobility in Status Inconsistency: A Study Based on Chinese Data*

With the development of the Chinese market economy, the phenomenon of Status Inconsistency and its social impacts are gradually increasing. Discussing the origins of Status Inconsistency and enriching the research on intergenerational mobility factors is of significant importance. This article aims to introduce an intergenerational perspective into the study of Status Inconsistency, exploring the mobility issues of Status Inconsistency across generations. Utilizing data from the CFPS, the article empirically examines the intergenerational mobility of Status Inconsistency and its mechanisms in the dimensions of education, income, and occupational prestige using intergenerational transition matrixes and the DRM model. The empirical results indicate that Status Inconsistency shows a certain degree of intergenerational transmission tendency, as well as a strong regression tendency, with some heterogeneity existing between urban and rural areas and regions. In the dimension where parents have lower status, parental Status Inconsistency leads to relative upward social mobility for their offspring. In the dimension where parents have higher status, parental Status Inconsistency leads to relative downward social mobility for their offspring; certain instances of parental Status Inconsistency will increase the tendency for offspring to change occupations, move regions, and alter household registration statuses. Conversely, some forms of Status Inconsistency will inhibit these tendencies.