Social Origins and Educational Attainment in Canada: 1985 and 1994

Abstract

This paper assesses the effects of mothers' and fathers' education and occupational positions on the educational attainment of male and female offspring based on the data from two national representative samples of Canadians surveyed in 1985 and 1994. The analyses show that, for offspring of both genders, mothers' and fathers' education and occupation have a substantial effect on education, in both surveys. The advantage of social origin for both male and female offspring depends on the measure of social origin with some indication of same-sex effects. Furthermore, social origins have a stronger effect on offspring's university degree attainment than on postsecondary education in general. Finally, there are signs of increasing inequality in social origin effect on offspring's educational attainment. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.