Mobility and Inequality in the Professoriate: How and Why First-Generation and Working-Class Backgrounds Matter

Social science research has long recognized the relevance of socioeconomic background for mobility and inequality. In this article we interrogate how why working-class first-generation backgrounds are especially meaningful take as our case in point professoriate discipline sociology, – i.e., a field that intellectually prioritizes attention to group inequality arguably offers conservative empirical test compared other academic fields. Our analyses, which draw on unique survey items open-ended qualitative materials from nearly 1,000 sociologists, reveal significant divergences job attainment, tied partly educational background. Moreover, important, findings demonstrate consequences across several dimensions including compensation economic precarity, professional visibility, isolation at departmental, college or university, levels. We conclude by highlighting discussion results contribute important ways broader sociological concerns surrounding mobility, disadvantage, social closure.