<P> Another research looked into the pivotal role of education in association between ability and social class attainment through three generations (fathers, participants and offspring) using the SMS1932 (Lothian Birth Cohort 1921) educational data, childhood ability and late life intellectual function data . It was proposed that social class of origin acts as a ballast restraining otherwise meritocratic social class movement, and that education is the primary means through which social class movement is both restrained and facilitated--therefore acting in a pivotal role . </P> <P> It was found that social class of origin predicts educational attainment in both the participant's and offspring generations . Father's social class and participant's social class held the same importance in predicting offspring educational attainment--effect across two generations . Educational attainment mediated the association of social class attainments across generations (father's and participants social class, participant's and offspring's social class). There was no direct link social classes across generations, but in each generation educational attainment was a predictor of social class, which is consistent with other studies . Also, participant's childhood ability moderately predicted their educational and social class attainment (. 31 and . 38). Participant's educational attainment was strongly linked with the odds of moving downward or upward on the social class ladder . For each SD increase in education, the odds of moving upward on the social class spectrum were 2.58 times greater (the downward ones were . 26 times greater). Offspring's educational attainment was also strongly linked with the odds of moving upward or downward on the social class ladder . For each SD increase in education, the odds of moving upward were 3.54 times greater (the downward ones were . 40 times greater). In conclusion, education is very important, because it is the fundamental mechanism functioning both to hold individuals in their social class of origin and to make it possible for their movement upward or downward on the social class ladder . </P> <P> In the Cohort 1936 it was found that regarding whole generations (not individuals) the social mobility between father's and participant's generation is: 50.7% of the participant generation have moved upward in relation to their fathers, 22.1% had moved downwards, and 27.2% had remained stable in their social class . There was a lack of social mobility in the offspring generation as a whole . However, there was definitely individual offspring movement on the social class ladder: 31.4% had higher social class attainment than their participant parents (grandparents), 33.7% moved downward, and 33.9% stayed stable . Participant's childhood mental ability was linked to social class in all three generations . A very important pattern has also been confirmed: average years of education increased with social class and IQ . </P> <P> There were some great contributors to social class attainment and social class mobility in the twentieth century: Both social class attainment and social mobility are influenced by pre-existing levels of mental ability, which was in consistence with other studies . So, the role of individual level mental ability in pursuit of educational attainment--professional positions require specific educational credentials . Furthermore, educational attainment contributes to social class attainment through the contribution of mental ability to educational attainment . Even further, mental ability can contribute to social class attainment independent of actual educational attainment, as in when the educational attainment is prevented, individuals with higher mental ability manage to make use of the mental ability to work their way up on the social ladder . This study made clear that intergenerational transmission of educational attainment is one of the key ways in which social class was maintained within family, and there was also evidence that education attainment was increasing over time . Finally, the results suggest that social mobility (moving upward and downward) has increased in recent years in Britain . Which according to one researcher is important because an overall mobility of about 22% is needed to keep the distribution of intelligence relatively constant from one generation to the other within each occupational category . </P>

Which countries in the world have higher levels of social mobility than the united states and why