Intergenerational Mobility and Changes in Drug Use Across the Life Course

Abstract

The consequences of “falling from grace”—or experiencing downward intergenerational mobility—are indeed becoming an abrupt reality for many entering the labor force. Scholars of social mobility speculate that such life course trajectories can result in antisocial behavior, but few have examined whether these trajectories lead to drug use. Thus, with the United States in the midst of a drug epidemic, as well as recovering from an economic recession, the study of social mobility may contribute to a better understanding of what causes individuals to turn to drugs. Using data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) and a series of logistic diagonal reference models, this study examines the association between intergenerational social mobility and drug use. Overall, I find evidence that downward mobility is associated with increases in drug use, with the relationship strongest among those experiencing the greatest loss in status.