Fathers' Ages and the Social Stratification of Sons

The reproduction of inequality from generation to generation depends not only on the degree to which parents transmit their statuses to their offspring but also on the ages at which parents bear their offspring. Because parents' education, employment, and economic wealth improve with age, and because younger parents experience stronger competing role demands than older parents, parental age influences children's environments. The average number of siblings also varies with the age of the parents, which affects the family resources to which a child has access. As a result, when other aspects of son's socioeconomic background are controlled, sons born to older fathers enjoy significantly higher levels of educational and occupational achievement than sons born to younger fathers.