当代经济科学2025，Vol.47Issue(1)：106-119,14.DOI:10.20069/j.cnki.DJKX.202501008
教育代际流动对家庭消费不平等的影响效应及传导机制
The Effect and Transmission Mechanism of Educational Intergenerational Mobi-lity on Household Consumption Inequality
摘要
Abstract
Summary Achieving common prosperity is a central goal of socialism with Chinese characteristics.Addressing the unbalanced and insufficient development that hampers progress requires a focus on reducing disparities,including household consumption inequality.Over recent years,consumption has become the primary driver of China's economic growth,but alongside this expansion,inequalities in consumption patterns have surfaced.Education plays a pivotal role in promoting social mobility and equity,with educational intergenerational mobility serving as a vital measure of opportunity fairness.This study explores the impact of educational intergenerational mobility on household consumption inequality,offering a novel perspective to inform economic policy and promote balanced development. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies(CFPS)between 2010 and 2020,this study calculates regional educational intergenerational mobility indices based on the methodology of Liu et al.(2018)and employs the relative deprivation index of household consumption to measure consumption inequality.The results demonstrate that increasing educational intergenerational mobility significantly reduces household consumption inequality.Two mechanisms—social capital and entrepreneurial behavior—are identified as critical pathways through which educational mobility influences consumption disparities.These findings underscore the importance of education not only as a tool for individual advancement but also as a means to address broader structural inequalities in household consumption. The analysis reveals considerable heterogeneity in the effects of educational mobility across different demographic and socioeconomic groups.The reduction in consumption inequality is more pronounced in urban households,male-headed households,younger and middle-aged populations,and households with low to medium levels of assets.In contrast,rural households,female-headed households,elderly populations,and high-asset households do not exhibit significant changes in consumption inequality,suggesting the need for targeted policy interventions that consider the unique characteristics of these groups. This study makes three significant contributions to the literature.First,it shifts the focus from traditional factors such as social systems and technological development to the less-studied domain of vertical opportunity inequality,broadening the scope of research on household consumption disparities.Second,by using the relative deprivation index,it refines the measurement of inequality,offering a more intuitive depiction of consumption gaps and their relationship with unequal educational opportunities.Third,it delves into the mediating mechanisms of social capital and entrepreneurial behavior,providing a micro-level understanding of how educational mobility translates into reduced consumption inequality.These contributions enrich the theoretical framework surrounding the interplay between vertical opportunity inequality and horizontal outcome inequality. By investigating the dynamic relationship between educational intergenerational mobility and household consumption inequality,this study provides valuable insights into achieving social opportunity equity and result fairness.It serves as a useful reference for policymakers aiming to reduce consumption disparities,promote social justice,and advance the goal of common prosperity in China.关键词
教育代际流动/消费不平等/家庭消费相对剥夺/社会资本/创业行为Key words
educational intergenerational mobility/consumption inequality/relative deprivation of consumption/social capital/entrepreneurial behavior引用本文复制引用
董甜甜,毛中根..教育代际流动对家庭消费不平等的影响效应及传导机制[J].当代经济科学,2025,47(1):106-119,14.基金项目
国家自然科学基金重点项目"新时代居民消费发展的驱动机制及政策研究"(72033007) （72033007）
国家社会科学基金重大项目"扩大消费长效机制的运行机理与完善路径研究"(24ZDA017). （24ZDA017）
