This article surveys and discusses the available literature on socio-economic mobility in preindustrial societies. Beginning with the mobility-promoting impact of the Black Death, the article explores more generally how “calamities” of various kinds offered (or not) opportunities for upward mobility. Thereafter, it discusses long-term mobility trends, also in the light of new research about economic inequality. Finally, the article discusses how, in certain historical phases, ruling elites acted as the “enemies” of mobility, defending their positions – but possibly contributing to entrench economic stagnation.
Bocconi University, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0001-5534-8694
Titolo del capitolo
Social and economic mobility in preindustrial Europe
Autori
Guido Alfani
Lingua
English
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.02
Opera sottoposta a peer review
Anno di pubblicazione
2025
Copyright
© 2025 Author(s)
Licenza d'uso
Licenza dei metadati
Titolo del libro
La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries)
Curatori
Angela Orlandi
Opera sottoposta a peer review
Numero di pagine
612
Anno di pubblicazione
2025
Copyright
© 2025 Author(s)
Licenza d'uso
Licenza dei metadati
Editore
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0666-2
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0667-9
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-0668-6
Collana
Datini Studies in Economic History
ISSN della collana
2975-1241
e-ISSN della collana
2975-1195