Intergenerational Social Class Mobility and Support for Redistributive Policies in Italy, 2003-2024

Despite extensive research on class and redistributive attitudes across Europe, the relationship between intergenerational mobility and support for redistribution in Italy remains significantly understudied. Drawing on harmonised data from the European Social Survey and International Social Survey Programme, the analysis employs Linear Probability Models and Diagonal Reference Models to disentangle the distinct effects of class origin, class destination, and mobility experience on support for redistributive policies. The findings reveal that, while individuals from less advantaged backgrounds and those in disadvantaged positions express stronger support for redistribution, intergenerational mobility introduces important asymmetries. Upwardly mobile individuals align with the less supportive preferences characteristic of their destination class, though traces of their working-class origins remain evident through higher support levels than the immobile salariat. Conversely, downwardly mobile individuals align more closely with the stronger support for redistribution of their new social groups, likely driven by exposure to economic insecurity and material interests. Crucially, these patterns stem not from mobility per se, but from the specific social contexts individuals encounter over the life course. The methodological contribution lies in applying Diagonal Reference Models to isolate mobility effects that standard linear models conflate. Given Italy's rising levels of downward mobility, these dynamics may contribute to broader shifts in the class basis of redistributive support, potentially reshaping welfare debates in a country marked by persistent inequalities and limited upward mobility opportunities.