In his recent study, Fabian Pfeffer finds that parental wealth is a dominant factor in sustaining or raising one’s social status in the US. He says that the idea of exceptional social mobility in America is largely a myth. “Especially in the United States, people underestimate the extent to which your destiny is linked to your background,” Pfeffer says. [**Read a report of his findings.**](http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/abs/7676)

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