# Stars in the Shadows: Unpacking Socioeconomic Disparities in Scientific Recognition

1 Research Highlights November 18, 2024 ![Petra Moser](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/2024-11/pmoser.jpg?itok=Y_dGFsx_)>

**Overview**: In the paper titled, “[Inequality in Science: Who Becomes a Star?](https://www.nber.org/papers/w33063#:~:text=Using%20detailed%20data%20on%20job,between%20childhood%20SES%20and%20stardom.),” NYU Stern Professor [Petra Moser](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/petra-moser) and co-author Anna Airoldi investigate how a person’s socioeconomic status (SES) during childhood can influence their chances to participate and be successful in science, known as becoming a “star” scientist. The term “star” is used for those scientists recognized by their peers for their contributions to the field according to the 1921 American Men of Science biographical dictionary.

**Why study this now**: Since the 1960s, improvements in talent allocation, particularly from women and Black men, have contributed significantly (between 20-40%) to productivity growth. However, children from low-income backgrounds remain underrepresented among inventors, PhD recipients, professors, and in creative roles. In contrast, children of professionals (like attorneys and physicians) dominate the field.

**What the authors found**: Using machine-learning algorithms to link scientists with their childhood home in the US Census, the researchers found that:

- Children from low-SES homes were already severely underrepresented in the early 1900s
- Scientists from high-SES families have 38% higher odds of becoming stars, controlling for age, publications, and disciplines
- SES also influences peer recognition in science
- Having a college degree explains the correlation between SES and stardom more than any other factor, yet even controlling for degrees, high-SES scientists have 43.3% higher odds of becoming stars, and those from families with household staff have 58.1% higher odds.

**What does this** ***change***: This paper contributes to other research analyzing intergenerational upward mobility. “Overall, the research highlights deep-rooted inequalities in scientific recognition based on childhood SES,” say the authors, “and underscores the importance of addressing these disparities to foster a more inclusive scientific community.”

**Key insight**: “These findings emphasize the importance of SES and indicate that a person’s class may unduly influence how we perceive their work.”

## More from Professor Moser

- [The Baby Boom's Shadow: How Childcare Derailed a Generation of Women in Science](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/baby-booms-shadow-how-childcare-derailed-generation-women-science)
- [Copyright Law as the Muse of Creativity](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/moser-copyright-law-creativity)