Winners and losers - From empirical date to model

Model takes into account not only achieved status but also resources for social mobility. Values, motivation and barriers are considered. The database is result of surveys those were provided in Russia from 1960-s till now.

Model includes several categories (we’ve given them relative names).

The “winners” are those who strive to achieve upward social mobility. They engage in active effort that will provide them with this potential mobility; for example, they acquire a high-level qualification that is demanded in the labor market. They have necessary resources because they are predominantly from the group occupying higher place in social hierarchy.

The “outsiders” would also like to attain to higher status or at least to keep or reproduce it; but they do not achieve their goals because they have not necessary resources for overcoming the barriers (social, economic, territorial etc.).

The “pessimists” would like to achieve upward mobility and know how to achieve this; but they have no hope of overcoming the barriers. It does not matter if they are not able to overcome these barriers or believe that they will not be able to (low motivation). They lower their expectations and refrain from necessary activity. 

People in category “others” have specific values: social mobility or prosperity is desirable, but the way of achieving it is not conventional but by other means.

In the “hopeless” group are for example those who found themselves below the property line. They have no resources by which to rise above it. They have no hope or goal of rising up the social ladder and thus do not think about a way to achieve upward mobility, much less participate in competition.