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Family of Origin, Race/Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Attainment: Genotype and Intraindividual Processes
Author(s) -
Wickrama K. A. S.,
O'Neal Catherine Walker
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.01027.x
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , educational attainment , ethnic group , psychology , developmental psychology , race (biology) , demography , longitudinal study , young adult , population , medicine , sociology , political science , gender studies , pathology , anthropology , law
Previous research has mainly focused on the persistent direct influence of early life contexts on young adult socioeconomic attainment, and less is known about intraindividual processes that are responsible for this persistent influence. The present study, using genetically informed longitudinal, prospective data from a nationally representative sample (Add Health), attempted to fill this gap by adding three important findings to the literature: (a) Adolescents experiencing adverse family contexts during childhood and early adolescence showed lower socioeconomic attainment in early adulthood than adolescents from less adverse family contexts, (b) adolescent academic and cognitive competencies and psychological vulnerabilities partially mediated these persistent influences, and (c) individual cumulative genetic characteristics additively and interactively influenced adolescent competencies and vulnerabilities as well as young adult socioeconomic attainment. The results demonstrate that although substantial continuity exists in early adversities, individual genetic variability is a factor that influences individuals' response to early socioeconomic conditions.