Inequality in social mobility in Southern Europe. Evidence of Class Ceiling in the area of Barcelona, 16th-19th centuries
Gabriel Brea-Martínez|Joana María Pujadas-Mora
Preindustrial social mobility is still primarily understudied in present times, and most early-industrial research has focused strictly on occupational mobility, not fully capturing the substantial socioeconomic disparities within groups that presumably always existed. In this study, we contribute to literature by estimating long-term trends intergenerational Barcelona its hinterland. Using Historical Marriage Database, assess between socially non-socially mobile individuals through unique data covering prestige economic information. We use from genealogic reconstitutions done with probabilistic record linkage. find using a combined SES approach (occupational capacity) can capture both class differences within-occupation disparities. Accordingly, increased since beginning of 18th, during Catalan protoindustrialization, but significant persistence would have for Non-Manuals' children, stagnated Artisans' declined Farmers'. Moreover, within-occupational groups, upward-mobile been disadvantaged terms compared immobile, constant characteristic preindustrial periods until end 19th century. These results suggest immobile (intergenerationally) perform better than mobile, independent period, which seems recall sociological concept ceiling.