Abstract

The observation that middle class parents tend to have middle class children is rather obvious. Why this is so has been the subject of less research than the fact that it is so. Using the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), I employ theories about social class reproduction to examine and evaluate a model that scrutinizes the influence of self-efficacy and self-esteem on college completion or current enrollment and investigate gender differences. I find that self-esteem and self-efficacy play a vital role in social class outcomes. However, I find no evidence of gender differences in the social class reproduction process. Implications for these findings are discussed and directions for future research are briefly outlined. Particular attention is paid to the importance of the social class reproduction framework and the role that children, combined with parents, play in the process of social class reproduction.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Sociology

Rights

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