Abstract
The aim of this paper is to unravel the change in the functions of the high school diploma using time-series variation in the structures of intra-generational mobility.
First, we try to set demarcation lines between birth years by examining intra-generational mobility, occupational structure based on the first job, and enrollment ratios in the institutions of higher education. Exploring these three aspects for every birth year between 1932 and 1965, five different phases are inductively suggested. Second, the five different phases are compared with 10-year demarcations to verify the former by analyzing chances for advancement to managerial level. We find that using 10-year phases only shows static and limited results. But result using time divisions developed in the exploratory phase produced results that clearly shown the changing impact of academic attainment depending on the period.
