GEOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: THE IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN AND MOBILITY ON LIFE CHANCES

The study of life outcomes and their social stratification lies at the core of sociological research. As such, this dissertation aims to examine how one's place of origin and geographical mobility interact with social origins to shape occupational outcomes. By embedding these factors within the Origin-Education-Destination triangle, it is possible to quantify their contributions to patterns of inequality and illuminate the mechanisms driving the reproduction of advantage and disadvantage over the life course. Data from SHARELIFE is used, with retrospective information on adults in Europe born from the 1920s to the 1960s. The first chapter discusses the theoretical foundations of literature on social stratification and adds geographical area of origin and mobility to consideration as important factors in determining life outcomes. The second chapter focuses on the residual impact of rural or urban areas of origin on occupational attainment, the potential for cumulative (dis)advantage or compensatory effects to emerge by socioeconomic origins, and cross-country differences. The third chapter focuses on geographical mobility as an achieved characteristic, investigating outcomes of occupational attainment for repeat mobility events by gender and partnership status. The fourth chapter examines the understudied impact of couple and family mobility, emphasizing that migration processes are inherently gendered and often occur at the couple level, while also considering comparative differences and changes over time. Overall, the findings suggest that accounting for geographical origin and mobility provides a more nuanced understanding of occupational outcomes and the reproduction of social inequality over the life course.