社會流動

Social science studies often encounter the challenge of decomposing effects in the presence of status inconsistency, with a particular focus on estimating the effects of social mobility. This paper systematically compares different methods in terms of theoretical assumptions and model specifications by reviewing key debates and recent developments pertaining to the estimation of social mobility effects. Specifically, it compares the widely used Diagonal Reference Model with the recently introduced Mobility Contrast Model. Through model derivation and the analysis of conducted on simulated and real data, this paper points out that the criticisms of the Mobility Contrast Model against traditional methods contain significant misconceptions in theories and methods. Based on this, this paper provides specific approaches to choosing appropriate methods according to theoretical and realistic contexts. It also summarizes the guiding principles and considerations that should be taken into account when applying these methods.