Professional Dynasties as a Social Resource and Socio-Cultural Capital: Research Directions

Abstract

. In the paper we present some results of the study of the social phenomenon of the professional dynasty as a social resource for the reproduction of professional groups. The relevance of the study is based on its interdisciplinary character (social research, economics, philosophy, psychology, history) and a multidimensional approach to the analysis of the professional succession within the family. The research fi lls the gap in the scientifi c studies of the upward social mobility of the members of the professional dynasty including their use of the cultural, economic and social capital. The research obtains scientifi c novelty since we study various professional groups: engineers, doctors, teachers, diplomats, civil servants, taking into consideration their behavioral and educational family trajectories. We used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods: in-depth interviews with experts (N = 40) and members of dynasties (N= 162); the sociological mass survey from 8 regions of Russia (N=1400) and the secondary analysis of statistics of the All- Russian sociological surveys. We present the data on various types of dynasties, their structures and the factors that contribute to the development of professional dynasties