Greg Clark, an important hereditarian scholar, talks about his groundbreaking study on the inheritance of social status in England. He discusses the limited impact of social interventions on social mobility and the persistence of familial social status across generations. The podcast also explores the role of genetics in social status, the implications of school breakfast programs, the feminization of the academy, and the concept of social status in various aspects. Greg teases his upcoming book on the transmission of social status.
Social interventions and institutions have not measurably changed the strong familial persistence of social status across generations.
A high genetic correlation, around 0.6, exists regarding social abilities and has remained consistent for the past 400 years.
Societies should prioritize addressing inequalities and compressing differences in income and wealth, rather than solely focusing on increasing social mobility.
Deep dives
The paper examines the correlation of social outcomes across generations
The paper analyzes a dataset of 422,000 individuals in England from 1600 to 2022 to explore the correlation between social outcomes and genetic transmission. It finds that there is a surprising degree of status persistence across generations, with individuals still correlated in terms of their house value with their fourth cousins, even if they do not know who these cousins are. The paper also reveals that the rate of status persistence has remained consistent for the past 400 years, despite significant changes in society. Additionally, a simple model of genetic transmission can accurately account for the observed correlations in social outcomes.
Genetic factors play a significant role in determining social outcomes
The study suggests that a meaningful portion of social outcomes, such as house value and occupational status, can be attributed to genetic factors. It finds that a high genetic correlation, around 0.6, exists regarding social abilities, and this correlation has remained constant for the past 400 years. The paper presents evidence that genetic transmission explains a surprising amount of the observed patterns in social mobility, even when accounting for other factors like the home environment. It also addresses and dismisses skeptical viewpoints that argue against the high genetic correlation observed in the data.
The implications of studying social mobility and genetic transmission
The paper challenges the notion that social mobility alone is a measure of a just society or a system that needs to be actively increased. It argues that social mobility is influenced by genetic factors, and even in a fair society, there will always be innate differences in individuals' potential and outcomes. The study suggests that instead of solely focusing on increasing mobility, societies should prioritize addressing inequalities and compressing differences in income and wealth. It also highlights that education, often seen as a pathway to social mobility, may not significantly impact outcomes, and that efforts should be made to avoid burdensome educational systems.
Diversity and randomness in social outcomes
The research emphasizes the diversity seen in social outcomes, even within families, and the random components that shape individuals' life trajectories. It demonstrates that while some patterns can be observed at a group level, such as assortative mating based on social status, there is no systematic marrying up or down. The paper suggests that social mobility should not be the sole indicator of a fair society, as inherent differences in talents and abilities are naturally present. It also highlights the need to acknowledge and study excellence, which can emerge from various points in the social distribution.
The controversy and societal implications
The paper acknowledges the controversy and resistance surrounding the idea of genetic transmission of social outcomes. It questions the fear and resistance to this concept, particularly among progressives who advocate for a world where everyone has equal chances. The study argues that understanding genetic inheritance does not condemn individuals to predetermined outcomes, and suggests that societies should focus on reducing inequalities rather than attempting to increase social mobility. It also highlights the impact of biases in research funding and the restrictions placed on investigating these topics.
The final video from our 2023 ISIRseries is a brilliant interview with Professor Greg Clark, one of the most important hereditarian scholars. We mainly talk about Greg’s groundbreaking study published in June: The inheritance of social status: England, 1600 to 2022. It’s worth quoting at length:
There is widespread belief across the social sciences in the ability of social interventions and social institutions to significantly influence rates of social mobility. In England, 1600 to 2022, we see considerable change in social institutions across time. Half the population was illiterate in 1800, and not until 1880 was compulsory primary education introduced. Progressively after this, educational provision and other social supports for poorer families expanded greatly. The paper shows, however, that these interventions did not change in any measurable way the strong familial persistence of social status across generations.
Greg is a Danish National Research Foundation Professor in Economics at Southern Denmark University (Odense), as well as a Chair at the Danish Institute for Advanced Study. He’s also a Visiting Professor in the Economic History Department at LSE. This year, he became a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis.
As we discussed in the interview, Greg has a penchant for Hemingway puns (something that got him in trouble) when it comes to book titles. You should buy both ofthem. And follow him on Twitter/X.
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