Social mobility in Colombia during the XIX century. A multifactorial study for small populations

Piedad Urdinola, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota

This study focuses on the patterns of social mobility in Colombia using the 1870 census data, incorporating profiles on age, sex and marital status against the information on occupation by using analysis of correspondences. The results show a tendency in the patterns of social mobility linked to the stages in life, rather than a direct link between families (last names) and occupations. Namely, demographic variables are more important than the family line. Indeed, aging which in turn is associated to marital status are more important determinants of occupation rather than last names. The inhabitants of our dataset are born, both males and females, as agricultural farmers and when they grow older and marry, over age 18, women automatically become artisans while men continue to be farmers, until they reach older ages (over age 58) when many are widowed and become servants.