Intergenerational income mobility is of great societal importance due to its relevance to equal socio-economic opportunity and future economic efficiency. In her book Dr Hou explores the potential role of education policy in reducing intergenerational transmission of poverty and promoting intergenerational income mobility in China. Her research investigates the extent to which intergenerational income persists in China, the mechanisms behind intergenerational inequality, and premises for policy intervention. The interaction between families, labour markets, and public policies that structure a child’s opportunities and determine the extent to which income is related to family background are discussed in detail. The book comprises of three separate empirical studies examining the relationship between parents’ income and the long-term welfare of their children for two birth cohorts; the role education plays in the intergenerational income relationship; and possible policy intervention channels to facilitate intergenerational income mobility. The lessons learnt from the empirical studies in this book offer the basis for a discussion of current educational policies and provide guidance for developing more appropriate public policies to promote intergenerational income mobility in China in the future. This book contributes to the international discussion by providing evidence in Chinese context, and also provides guidance for policymakers attempting to develop more appropriate public policies to promote intergenerational income mobility in China.

The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Poverty builds a common scholarly ground in the study of poverty by bringing together an international, inter-disciplinary group of scholars to provide their perspectives on the issue. Contributors engage in discussions about the leading theories and conceptual debates regarding poverty, the most salient topics in poverty research, and the far-reaching consequences of poverty on the individual and societal level.

Labour markets in North America and Europe have changed tremendously in the face of increased globalisation and technical progress, raising important challenges for policy makers concerned with equality of opportunity. This book examines the influence of both changes in income inequality and of social policies on the degree to which economic advantage is passed on between parents and children in the rich countries. Standard theoretical models of generational dynamics are extended to examine generational income and earnings mobility over time and across space. Over twenty contributors from North America and Europe offer comparable estimates of the degree of mobility, changes in mobility, and the impact of government policy. In so doing, they strengthen the analytical tool kit used in the study of generational mobility, and offer insights for research and directions in dealing with equality of opportunity and child poverty.

This report provides new evidence on social mobility in the context of increased inequalities of income and opportunities in OECD and selected emerging economies. It covers the aspects of both, social mobility between parents and children and of personal income mobility over the life course, ...

Fair Progress? Economic Mobility across Generations around the World focuses on an issue that has gotten much attention in the developed world, but will present new data and analysis covering most of the world including developing economies. The analysis considers whether those born in poverty or in prosperity are destined to remain in the same economic circumstances into which they were born, and looks back over a half a century at whether children's lives are better or worse than their parents' in different parts of the world. It suggests local, national, and global actions and policies that can help break the cycle of poverty, paving the way for the next generation to realize their potential and improve their lives.

"While the incidence of extreme poverty in China fell dramatically over 1980-2001, progress was uneven over time and across provinces. Rural areas accounted for the bulk of the gains to the poor, though migration to urban areas helped. The pattern of growth mattered. Rural economic growth was far more important to national poverty reduction than urban economic growth. Agriculture played a far more important role than the secondary or tertiary sources of GDP. Rising inequality within the rural sector greatly slowed poverty reduction. Provinces starting with relatively high inequality saw slower progress against poverty, due both to lower growth and a lower growth elasticity of poverty reduction. Taxation of farmers and inflation hurt the poor. External trade had little short-term impact. This paper a product of the Poverty Team, Development Research Group is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the causes of country success in poverty reduction"--World Bank web site.