In recent decades, the financial situation into which a child is born has often been considered the strongest determinant of their future success. However, a recent, large-scale study of social media data, has identified a new and possibly more revealing indicator of social mobility: cross-class friendships. 

More specifically, the research determined that if children from lower-income backgrounds are exposed to peers from wealthier families, their future incomes can increase by an average of 20% — representing a stronger impact than school quality, family structure, or job availability (“New Research Suggests That Social Circles Affect Upward Mobility among U.S. Children and Young Adults,” 2022). Raj Chetty, one of the authors of the study offers that “growing up in a community connected across class lines improves kids’ outcomes and gives them a better shot at rising out of poverty”(Miller et al., 2022). 

The interest in social capital exchange from the perspective of social science is not new. Past research has determined that having a connection with people who are more educated or wealthy growing up can influence an individual’s goals, their likelihood of attending college, and the career they chose to pursue (Miller et al., 2022). However, this particular study is the first of its kind to establish a direct link between inter-class relationship

s and better economic outcomes. Although the research was conducted using information from the United States, its results may be applicable to cross-class interactions around the world.

According to this research team, exposure is the first step in bridging the gap be

tween different socioeconomic groups, as the opportunity for people to meet each other is necessary for any potential friendships to develop. High school and college campuses, which provide exposure to socioeconomic diversity (granted the institutions are indeed diverse), can therefore serve as environments to foster cross-class friendships.

Educational institutions can implement certain strategies to foster cross-class friendships. For example, Yale University houses incoming students in small groups that consist of individuals from a variety of backgrounds rather than letting students self-select roommates or assign them randomly (Miller et al., 2022). 

This has resulted in low-income students at the university having a significantly higher prevalence of cross-class friendships than the national average. 

The Sankofa International School in Ghana may be amplifying the power of cross-class interactions by virtue of its socioeconomically diverse student body. This Ghanaian institution is home to a heterogeneous student population, from affluent African elites to underprivileged orphans. Accordingly, the school provides a natural environment where students from different social classes interact on a daily basis, in turn, creating the opportunity for cross-class relationships between peers. 

These relationships can provide underprivileged students with access to the resources, networks, and expertise of wealthier students, ultimately affording them better prospects for the future.

Works Cited:

Miller, C. C., Katz, J., Paris, F., & Bhatia, A. (2022, August 1). Vast New Study Shows a Key to Reducing Poverty: More Friendships Between Rich and Poor. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/01/upshot/rich-poor-friendships.html

New research suggests that social circles affect upward mobility among U.S. children and young adults. (2022, September 7). Equitable Growth. https://equitablegrowth.org/new-research-suggests-that-social-circles-affect-upward-mobility-among-u-s-children-and-young-adults/