Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility
Many people seek higher status through socioeconomic mobility. Higher education institutions and professional workplaces include barriers to entry and inclusion that make it difficult for people from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds to reach their goals. Experiences within these settings...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Russell Sage Foundation
2022-11-01
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| Series: | RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences |
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1811316458480730112 |
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| author | Mesmin Destin Régine Debrosse Michelle Rheinschmidt-Same Jennifer A. Richeson |
| author_facet | Mesmin Destin Régine Debrosse Michelle Rheinschmidt-Same Jennifer A. Richeson |
| author_sort | Mesmin Destin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many people seek higher status through socioeconomic mobility. Higher education institutions and professional workplaces include barriers to entry and inclusion that make it difficult for people from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds to reach their goals. Experiences within these settings can lead people to feel status uncertainty, which is an aversive ambiguity about where one stands on the socioeconomic hierarchy. Status uncertainty has negative consequences for achievement and well-being, but social support may play a role and buffer against these negative consequences. First, a longitudinal study of college students shows predicted connections between socioeconomic background, status uncertainty, social support, and grades at the end of the college years. Next, an experiment shows that inducing a stronger sense of social support protects against negative workplace outcomes for those from lower SES backgrounds. Together, the studies demonstrate the significance of supportive forces during the pursuit of socioeconomic mobility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:50:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11b6f9e042314e6bbea6adaa407f48e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2377-8253 2377-8261 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:50:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Russell Sage Foundation |
| record_format | Article |
| series | RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-11b6f9e042314e6bbea6adaa407f48e12022-12-22T02:48:04ZengRussell Sage FoundationRSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences2377-82532377-82612022-11-0187158171https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2022.8.7.08Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic MobilityMesmin Destin0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5091-6306Régine Debrosse1Michelle Rheinschmidt-Same2Jennifer A. Richeson3Northwestern UniversityMcGill UniversityLoyola University ChicagoYale UniversityMany people seek higher status through socioeconomic mobility. Higher education institutions and professional workplaces include barriers to entry and inclusion that make it difficult for people from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds to reach their goals. Experiences within these settings can lead people to feel status uncertainty, which is an aversive ambiguity about where one stands on the socioeconomic hierarchy. Status uncertainty has negative consequences for achievement and well-being, but social support may play a role and buffer against these negative consequences. First, a longitudinal study of college students shows predicted connections between socioeconomic background, status uncertainty, social support, and grades at the end of the college years. Next, an experiment shows that inducing a stronger sense of social support protects against negative workplace outcomes for those from lower SES backgrounds. Together, the studies demonstrate the significance of supportive forces during the pursuit of socioeconomic mobility.socioeconomic statusacademic achievementwell-beingsocial support |
| spellingShingle | Mesmin Destin Régine Debrosse Michelle Rheinschmidt-Same Jennifer A. Richeson Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences socioeconomic status academic achievement well-being social support |
| title | Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility |
| title_full | Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility |
| title_fullStr | Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility |
| title_short | Psychological Challenges and Social Supports That Shape the Pursuit of Socioeconomic Mobility |
| title_sort | psychological challenges and social supports that shape the pursuit of socioeconomic mobility |
| topic | socioeconomic status academic achievement well-being social support |
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