文章基于布劳（P.M.Blau）和邓肯（O.D.Duncan）的“OED三角”确定了分析教育在代际流动中的作用及其机制的基本框架。文章采用中国综合社会调查（CGSS）、中国劳动力动态调查（CLDS）和中国家庭追踪调查（CFPS）数据库主要研究了四个问题。其一，采用社会阶层指标、利用EGP阶层分类法划分中国社会分层结构，并分析改革开放以来中国代际流动的变化趋势与特征，以揭示中国社会分层结构的开放度。其二，从受教育年限、高等教育机会、高等教育质量三个维度分析家庭背景对子代教育获得的影响程度，即OE关联。其三，从受教育年限、高等教育机会和高等教育质量的角度分析子代教育获得对其社会阶层地位获得的影响，即ED关联。其四，分析子代教育获得在收入代际流动中的中介效应以分析教育对代际收入流动性的解释力，综合运用经济学和社会学相关理论系统分析教育在代际流动中的作用机制。 基于上述分析得出的主要结论如下：第一，改革开放以来，从绝对流动率来看，中国社会的代际流动性水平还是比较高的，且总体趋势向上，但就反映流动机会均等性的相对流动率而言，代际流动性水平则较低，并呈现缓慢下降的态势，这势必会影响教育在代际流动中的作用程度。第二，从受教育年限和高等教育机会的角度来说，家庭背景对子代教育获得有显著的正向影响，而从高等教育质量的角度来看，家庭背景对子代教育获得的影响则基本不显著。第三，从子代受教育年限和高等教育机会的角度来说，子代教育获得对其社会阶层地位获得有显著的正向影响，这不仅体现在代际向上流动的机会上，而且体现在成为管理与专业人员的机会方面；然而，从高等教育质量的角度来看，就读央属高校或非央属高校在代际向上流动或成为管理与专业人员的机会上没有显著差异。教育同时发挥着促进代际向上流动和复制阶层地位的作用，尤其对弱势家庭出身的子女实现代际向上流动意义非凡。高等教育在一定程度上削弱了家庭背景对代际向上流动机会的影响，但这种平等化效应是有限的，因为高等教育促进代际向上流动的作用会受制于家庭背景对其高等教育获得的影响。由于高等教育机会不平等现象的存在，使得高等教育对社会底层的“逆袭效应”明显低于对社会上层的“继承效应”，从而削弱了高等教育促进代际向上流动的作用。第四，教育在收入代际流动中发挥了中介效应，即父代收入可能会通过经济资源投入、非经济资源投入和遗传三个渠道影响子代的教育获得进而影响子代收入；教育的中介效应会受到公共教育经费投入政策、教育扩张政策、收入不平等等宏观环境的影响。 基于上述结论提出了如下政策建议：第一，推动经济持续健康发展，为代际流动提供基本保障。第二，对低收入或弱势家庭加大教育财政投入，确保教育获得的均等性。第三，建立完善的婴幼儿教育和医疗保健体系。第四，鼓励父母积极参与子女养育，重视家庭教养的作用。第五，完善公共服务体系和社会保障制度。第六，完善法制体系和制度建设，减少权力寻租对代际流动机会均等性的不利影响。第七，打破横亘在城乡之间的制度性壁垒，促进“两个世界”早日走向融合，共建和谐社会。

The basic analytical framework of the role and mechanism of education in the intergenerational mobility are determined by the "OED triangle" present by P.M.Blau and O.D.Duncan. This study mainly analyzes four problems on the basis of China's General Social Survey (CGSS), China's Labour-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS) and the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS).First, the study uses the index of the social class based on EGP class classification method to divide China's social stratification structure. Then, the study analyzes the trend and characteristics of China’s intergenerational mobility since the implementation of reform and opening-up policy to reveal the openness of China's social stratification structure. Secondly, the study analyzes the influence of family backgrounds on the education attainment, namely OE association from three dimensions of education, namely years of schooling, higher education opportunity and higher education quality. Thirdly, the study analyzes he influence of education attainment on the social class status attainment, namely ED association three dimensions of education, namely years of schooling, higher education opportunity and higher education quality. Fourthly, the study analyzes the explanatory power of the filial generation’s education attainment in the intergenerational income mobility through the mediation effect analysis of education in the intergenerational income mobility. Then the study integrates the economic and sociological theories to analyze the mechanism of education in the intergenerational mobility. Based on the above analysis, the main conclusions are as follows. First, since the implementation of China's reform and opening-up policy, from the point of absolute mobility rates, the China’s intergenerational mobility level is rather high, the overall trend is upward. However, in terms of relative mobility rates which reflect the equality of mobility opportunity, the intergenerational mobility level is quite low and the trend is downward slowly. It will affect in the role of education in intergenerational mobility. In the second place, from the perspective of years of schooling and higher education opportunity, family backgrounds are positive on filial generation’s education significantly, and from the point of view of higher education quality, family backgrounds almost have no significant impact on filial generation’s education.In the third place, from the perspective of years of schooling and higher education opportunities, filial generation’s education attainment has significant positive influence on social class status attainment, not only on the chances of upward mobility, but also on the chances to be administrators and professionals; However, from the perspective of the quality of education, there are no significant differences in the upward opportunities or chances to be administrators and professionals between people who attended the central universities or non-central universities. Education plays roles in promoting the upward mobility and reproducing the class status, and it has extraordinary meaning for the children of disadvantaged families especially. Higher education weakens the influence of family background on intergenerational upward mobility opportunities to a certain extent, but this kind of equalization effect is limited, because the role of higher education in promoting intergenerational upward mobility will be subject to the influence of family background on filial generation’s higher education attainment. Because of the higher education opportunity inequality, the "counterattack effect" of higher education to the bottom class was much lower than the "inheritance effect" to the top class and the effects of higher education to promote intergenerational upward mobility are weakened. In the Fourth place, education played a mediation effect in the intergenerational income mobility. That is to say, the parental income may influence children's education attainment through three channels, namely economic resources, noneconomic resources and inheredity, then will affect the filial generation’s income. The mediation effect of education will be affected by the macro environment such as public education funding, education expansion policy and income inequality. Based on the above conclusions, the study puts forward the following policy recommendations. Firstly, promoting the economic development sustainably and healthily to provide basic guarantee for intergenerational mobility. Secondly, increase education financial input to low-income or disadvantaged families to ensure equal education attainment. Third, establishing a sound system of education and medical care for infants and children. Fourthly, parents should be encouraged to participate in their children's nurture actively and value the role of family upbringing. Fifth, improving the public service system and social security system.Sixth, improving the legal system and system construction to reduce the negative impacts of rent-seeking on the equality of intergenerational mobility oppotunities. Seventh, breaking down the institutional barriers between urban and rural areas to promote the integration of the “two worlds” and build a harmonious society early.