The Social Stratification of the Effect of Parental Investment on Grit: A Case of South Korea

Theory and empirical evidence suggest that parents often allocate their investments unevenly among their children, resulting in disparities within families. This study explores two key questions: (1) Do parents reinforce or compensate for differences in their children’s grit, a critical indicator of socioemotional development? and (2) Do these parental responses vary according to family socioeconomic status (SES)? Drawing on data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, this study examines cohorts of elementary (4th grade) and middle (7th grade) school students to shed light on the mechanisms that perpetuate inequalities in socioemotional skills within a society characterized by intense educational competition.The sibling fixed-effects models reveal three key findings. First, parental investment in children’s socioemotional development predominantly takes the form of reinforcement rather than compensation. Second, reinforcing parenting behaviors are more pronounced among middle-school children than elementary-school children, reflecting shifts in parental strategies during adolescence. Third, these reinforcement patterns are more prevalent in high-SES families, particularly those with highly educated parents. These findings highlight the role of family background in shaping access to socioemotional resources and have significant implications for understanding the reproduction of inequality through educational and developmental pathways.