2021/10/15 by Giacomo Dimarco, Giuseppe Toscani, Dimarco, Giacomo +3
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Physics and Astronomy · #35Q84 #82B21 #91D10 #94A17 #Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems (nlin.AO) #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis #FOS: Physical sciences #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2110.08153
openalex publication_date 2021/10/15 · openalex created_date 2022/07/25 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We introduce and discuss a system of one-dimensional kinetic equations describing the influence of higher education in the social stratification of a multi-agent society. The system is obtained by coupling a model for knowledge formation with a kinetic description of the social climbing in which the parameters characterizing the elementary interactions leading to the formation of a social elite are assumed to depend on the degree of knowledge/education of the agents. In addition, we discuss the case in which the education level of an individual is function of the position occupied in the social ranking. With this last assumption we obtain a fully coupled model in which knowledge and social status influence each other. In the last part, we provide several numerical experiments highlighting the role of education in reducing social inequalities and in promoting social mobility.