Do parents matter? Occupational outcomes among ethnic minorities and British natives in England and Wales (2009-2010)

The paper studies the role of class of origin in the occupational outcomes of ethnic minorities and British natives in the UK. Two main hypotheses are tested. The first states that the class of origin helps explaining differences in occupational outcomes between ethnic minorities and natives (due to a higher concentration of low parental classes among the former). The second says that social reproduction processes vary between groups (due to divergent explanatory mechanisms). Using data from the United Kingdom Housing Longitudinal Study (Wave 1), the paper finds partial evidence for both hypotheses. Most importantly, it reveals that the lower social reproduction of Pakistani, Caribbean and African men has particularly negative consequences for higher educated minorities, who do not gain – as the natives do – from more advantageous origins. On the other hand, it also shows that the higher social reproduction of Bangladeshi women benefits those with lower educational levels.