The Reproduction of Wealth Inequality: How Middle- and Upper-Class Parents Instil Financial Orientations in Their Children
Abstract
The mechanisms propelling wealth inequality remain insufficiently understood. This paper aims to explore the transmission of parents’ financial orientation to their children, shedding light on the processes of cultivation that contribute to the reproduction of privileges. Drawing on interviews with parents and their children in two contrasting communities in Norway, one middle-class and one upper-class community, we investigate how money is embedded in a larger class-based pattern of values and willingness to invest in a broader sense. We find that although income is comparable and allows room for wealth accumulation, the meanings associated with wealth differ. The middle-class parents’ orientation can be associated with ‘looking down’, leading to a struggle to maintain their positions, while the upper-class parents transmit an orientation of ‘looking up’, emphasising the importance of play and potential growth. These two orientations may contribute to systematic differences in their children’s economic practices.
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| When | Event | Field | Old | New |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 19:37:53.011249+00:00 | identifier_assigned | DSEID | DSEID-001-6010020 |