IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v391y2026ics0277953625012547.html

Striving and thriving: Gender differences in the effects of climbing the socioeconomic ladder on stress and discrimination

Author

Listed:
  • Wong, Mitchell D.
  • Meza, Benjamin P.L.
  • Callaghan, Bridget
  • Silvers, Jennifer A.
  • Janet Tomiyama, A.
  • Narain, Kimberly
  • Dudovitz, Rebecca N.

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests upward socioeconomic mobility (“striving”) may result in worse physical health. It has been hypothesized that striving might result in greater stress and discrimination, but prior observational evidence of this has been mixed.

Suggested Citation

  • Wong, Mitchell D. & Meza, Benjamin P.L. & Callaghan, Bridget & Silvers, Jennifer A. & Janet Tomiyama, A. & Narain, Kimberly & Dudovitz, Rebecca N., 2026. "Striving and thriving: Gender differences in the effects of climbing the socioeconomic ladder on stress and discrimination," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 391(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:391:y:2026:i:c:s0277953625012547
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118923
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953625012547
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118923?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joshua D. Angrist & Parag A. Pathak & Christopher R. Walters, 2013. "Explaining Charter School Effectiveness," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 1-27, October.
    2. Gabriella Conti & James J. Heckman & Rodrigo Pinto, 2016. "The Effects of Two Influential Early Childhood Interventions on Health and Healthy Behaviour," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(596), pages 28-65, October.
    3. James J. Heckman & Ganesh Karapakula, 2019. "The Perry Preschoolers at Late Midlife: A Study in Design-Specific Inference," Working Papers 2019-034, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    4. repec:nas:journl:v:115:y:2018:p:109-114 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Titus J. Galama & Adriana Lleras-Muney & Hans van Kippersluis, 2018. "The Effect of Education on Health and Mortality: A Review of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Evidence," NBER Working Papers 24225, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Patrick Kline & Emmanuel Saez & Nicholas Turner, 2014. "Is the United States Still a Land of Opportunity? Recent Trends in Intergenerational Mobility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(5), pages 141-147, May.
    7. Atila Abdulkadiroğlu & Joshua D. Angrist & Susan M. Dynarski & Thomas J. Kane & Parag A. Pathak, 2011. "Accountability and Flexibility in Public Schools: Evidence from Boston's Charters And Pilots," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(2), pages 699-748.
    8. Sarah Krowka & Alexandria Hadd & Robert Marx, 2017. "“No Excuses” charter schools for increasing math and literacy achievement in primary and secondary education: a systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 1-67.
    9. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Patrick Kline & Emmanuel Saez, 2014. "Where is the land of Opportunity? The Geography of Intergenerational Mobility in the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(4), pages 1553-1623.
    10. Ana Isabel Ribeiro & Joana Amaro & Cosima Lisi & Silvia Fraga, 2018. "Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Allostatic Load: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, May.
    11. Nofsinger, John R. & Patterson, Fernando M. & Shank, Corey A., 2018. "Decision-making, financial risk aversion, and behavioral biases: The role of testosterone and stress," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-16.
    12. Adriana Lleras-Muney, 2022. "Education and Income Gradients in Longevity: The Role of Policy," NBER Working Papers 29694, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Sarah J. Reber & Dennis Rünger & Mitchell D. Wong, 2024. "The Effects of Charter High Schools on Academic Achievement and College Enrollment: Evidence from Los Angeles," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 19(4), pages 567-585, Fall.
    14. Asa Boholm, 1998. "Comparative studies of risk perception: a review of twenty years of research," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(2), pages 135-163, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dante Contreras & Jorge Rodríguez & Sergio Urzúa, 2019. "The Return to Private Education: Evidence from School-to-Work Transitions," Working Papers wp479, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    2. Contreras, Dante & Rodríguez, Jorge & Urzúa, Sergio, 2024. "Is private education worth it? Evidence from school-to-work transitions in Chile," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Martti Kaila & Emily Nix & Krista Riukula, 2021. "Disparate Impacts of Job Loss by Parental Income and Implications for Intergenerational Mobility," Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute Working Papers 53, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    4. Susan Dynarski & Daniel Hubbard & Brian Jacob & Silvia Robles, 2018. "Estimating the Effects of a Large For-Profit Charter School Operator," NBER Working Papers 24428, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Song, Yang, 2019. "Sorting, school performance and quality: Evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 238-261.
    6. Pier-André Bouchard St-Amant & Nicolas Marceau & Jean-Denis Garon, 2024. "Uncovering Gatsby Curves," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 22(4), pages 833-864, December.
    7. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    8. Eyles, Andrew & Machin, Stephen & McNally, Sandra, 2017. "Unexpected school reform: Academisation of primary schools in England," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 108-121.
    9. Marie Connolly & Catherine Haeck, 2024. "Intergenerational income mobility trends in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(1), pages 5-26, February.
    10. Cassandra Robertson & Rourke O’Brien, 2018. "Health Endowment at Birth and Variation in Intergenerational Economic Mobility: Evidence From U.S. County Birth Cohorts," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(1), pages 249-269, February.
    11. Olivetti, Claudia & Paserman, M. Daniele & Salisbury, Laura, 2018. "Three-generation mobility in the United States, 1850–1940: The role of maternal and paternal grandparents," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 73-90.
    12. Anna Manzoni & Jessi Streib, 2019. "The Equalizing Power of a College Degree for First-Generation College Students: Disparities Across Institutions, Majors, and Achievement Levels," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 60(5), pages 577-605, August.
    13. repec:mpr:mprres:8005 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Loviglio, Annalisa, 2023. "School Quality beyond Test Scores: The Role of Schools in Shaping Educational Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 16111, IZA Network @ LISER.
    15. Gregory Pavela & Kenzie Latham, 2016. "Childhood Conditions and Multimorbidity Among Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 71(5), pages 889-901.
    16. Baochun Peng & Haidong Yuan, 2021. "Dynamic Fairness: Mobility, Inequality, and the Distribution of Prospects," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(4), pages 1314-1338, October.
    17. Bertoni, Marco & Heller-Sahlgren, Gabriel & Silva, Olmo, 2025. "Free to improve? The impact of free school attendance in England," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    18. Bortolotti, Stefania & Soraperra, Ivan & Sutter, Matthias, 2025. "Social Risk, Fairness Types, and Redistribution," IZA Discussion Papers 18122, IZA Network @ LISER.
    19. Joshua D. Angrist & Sarah R. Cohodes & Susan M. Dynarski & Parag A. Pathak & Christopher R. Walters, 2016. "Stand and Deliver: Effects of Boston's Charter High Schools on College Preparation, Entry, and Choice," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(2), pages 275-318.
    20. repec:rim:rimwps:21-03 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Carlson, Deven & Lavertu, Stéphane, 2016. "Charter school closure and student achievement: Evidence from Ohio," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 31-48.
    22. Brea-Martinez, Gabriel, 2021. "The beneficial impact of mother’s work on children’s absolute income mobility, Southern Sweden (1947-2015)," SocArXiv c27s8, Center for Open Science.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:391:y:2026:i:c:s0277953625012547. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.