Wpływ pochodzenia społecznego i czynników merytokratycznych na kapitał społeczny
Effect of Social Origin and Rule of Meritocracy on the Social Capital

Summary/Abstract: This paper extends the debate on relationships between social capital and social stratification. Drawing on the longitudinal study based on pupils born in 1992-1993 I investigate the effect of social origin, education and cognitive skills on social capital defined in terms of help expected from friends. I detail the characteristics of these networks across different classes and then explore the ways these networks are affected by family background confronted by educational achievements and abilities related to meritocracy. Evidence suggests that all these variables affect social capital although abilities exert relatively small impact on getting help. According to expectations pupils originating from the upper-middle class families can receive more help than lower class categories that may display an important role of social capital in reproduction of the class structure. At the same time, the net effect of educational level affirms the importance of achievements that maintain openness and counter-vail intergenerational transmission.

• Details
• Contents