Relative Intergenerational Mobility: A Normative Framework and Evidence from Indonesia

Relative Intergenerational Mobility: A Normative Framework and Evidence from Indonesia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Relative Intergenerational Mobility: A Normative Framework and Evidence from Indonesia Olivier Bargain, Maria C. Lo Bue, Flaviana Palmisano This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9043187/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract We propose a simple and flexible framework to assess relative intergenerational mobility.The approach defines a dynasty as a parent–child pair, measuring achievementby each individual’s rank within their own generational outcome distribution, andmobility by the change in this rank across generations. This measure accommodatesboth continuous outcomes, such as potential earnings, and discrete or ordinal outcomes,such as education levels. It also allows for dominance characterizations (e.g.,the relative progress made by women vs. men) consistent with social preferences overdesirable mobility patterns. We apply the framework to Indonesia using long-paneldata linking parents observed in 1993 to their children in 2014. Results show thata large share of the population escaped illiteracy—an instance of absolute mobilitypossibly driven by major education reforms. However, relative educational mobilitywas regressive, as dynasties from higher socio-economic backgrounds progressedfaster. This pattern limited the overall progressivity of relative earnings mobility.Mobility in both education and potential earnings was markedly more favorable to women. JEL classification: J6, J62, O12, I2, D6 intergenerational mobility education earnings social welfare gender Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 13 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 31 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 09 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 09 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 05 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9043187","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":617158965,"identity":"14c16c57-8b58-4d8b-94e4-d1193ad05354","order_by":0,"name":"Olivier Bargain","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Bordeaux","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Olivier","middleName":"","lastName":"Bargain","suffix":""},{"id":617158968,"identity":"3467a972-13a5-47bc-b3ab-815efaf93cb3","order_by":1,"name":"Maria C. 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