Abstract

The increased educational participation has resulted in more social mobility and less social inequality in modern societies. So, educational achievement may have become a new social cleavage in society instead of social origin. Until now, it is unclear whether this actually has been the case, because educational expansion has resulted in credential inflation and probably also to a weakening of the impact of educational qualifications on occupational success. What consequence of educational expansion is dominant in the Netherlands, is unknown. This article focuses on the following questions: What development has occurred in (1) the intergenerational transmission of status positions from parents to their children, (2) the labour market value of credentials in terms of occupational success and (3) education as social cleavage instead of social origin? On the basis of data from the Family Survey Dutch Population 1992-2009, we have shown that the intergenerational transmission of status positions from parents to their offspring has decreased over time, but primarily among men. In addition, credential inflation has taken place in the labour market, which has resulted in a diminished effect of level of education on the occupational status achieved by individuals. Meritocratization in the labour market stagnates. The ultimate consequence is that the relative importance of education, compared to social origin, as a social cleavage has not increased in Dutch society.

How to Cite:

Tolsma, J. & Wolbers, M., (2010) “Onderwijs als nieuwe sociale scheidslijn?: de gevolgen van onderwijsexpansie voor sociale mobiliteit, de waarde van diploma's en het relatieve belang van opleiding in Nederland”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 31(3-4), 239–259. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.86759