We present an analytical model that outlines different pathways through which local contexts, defined as bounded geographic areas, shape socioeconomic attainment in three generations. Our model broadens the multigenerational research agenda, which has mainly focused on transmission within the family, and offers a framework for analyzing how exogenous shocks to local contexts could be used to test causal hypotheses. We use a descriptive case study of 20th century Wisconsin to illustrate how we can interpret empirical associations between characteristics of local contexts and socioeconomic attainment in three generations within our model. We end by considering how we could extend our model to capture a more complex set of contextual factors and how we could use it to address inferential challenges in multigenerational research.

我们提供了一个分析模型，该模型概述了不同的途径，通过这些途径，本地环境（定义为有限的地理区域）在三代人中塑造了社会经济成就。我们的模型拓宽了多代研究议程，该议程主要侧重于家庭内部的传播，并提供了一个框架，用于分析如何使用对当地情况的外来冲击来检验因果假设。我们使用20世纪威斯康星州的描述性案例研究来说明我们如何在模型中的三代人中解释当地情境特征与社会经济成就之间的经验关联。最后，我们考虑如何扩展模型以捕获更复杂的上下文因素集，以及如何使用它来解决多代研究中的推论性挑战。