Despite evidence that children from low-income families without two parents are doubly disadvantaged, a growing body of research on the interactive role of childhood family structure for intergenerational mobility finds the opposite—differences in adult attainment by childhood family structure are greatest among those with the most advantaged parents. This study examines: (1) how children’s educational attainment varies by childhood family structure and parental income; and (2) how much these education differences account for lifelong income disparities by childhood family structure.

Ryan Finnigan is an assistant professor of sociology at UC Davis, and an affiliate of the UC Davis Center for Poverty Research. Prior to Davis, he was a post-doctoral research fellow at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center in Berlin, Germany. Professor Finnigan studies poverty, inequality, and social mobility. His research focuses on labor markets and housing markets, with special attention to racial/ethnic inequality. Some of his research also examines policies and attitudes cross-nationally.