族群差異是臺灣重要的社會現象之一。過去學術界較常關注不同族群在政治態度和政治支持上的差異，較少注意不同族群在社會地位上的差異。 本文主要試圖了解：本省人和外省人在社會地位和社會流動上是否有所差異？ 如果有所差異，造成差異的原因是什麼？本文所用的資料來自1994年社會意向調查所收集的全國性樣本，樣本總數為3,187。本文發現：1.在社會地位上，外省籍民眾比本省籍民眾較集中在中、上階層；2.在階級流動上，外省籍民眾比本省籍民眾有較大的機會往上流動；3.教育成就的差異是造成這項階級流動差異的重要因素之一；4.而造成兩個族群在教育成就上差異的主要原因之一是：政府對外省人所集中的軍公教部門子女的教育補貼。本文的結論是：政治力量是造成本省籍民眾和外省籍民眾在社會地位上不平等的重要原因之一。

　　　　　Unequal distribution of political power between Chinese Mainlanders and native Taiwanese has been an important factor in Taiwan politics. Differences in political attitudes and party support between two groups have gained wide attention from students of Taiwan politics. The difference in social economic status between two groups as well as its causes however were less analyzed. Using the data collected from a house interview survey research conducted in 1994 with a nationwide sample, this paper examines the differences in class location as well as the intergenerational social mobility between the two ethnic groups. Based on John Goldthorpe's class schema, it found that the Mainlanders were over-represented in the upper middle classes. It also found that educational attainment was an important factor contributing to the unequal upward social mobility. The difference in educational attainment was partly explained by the subsidy from the government on the education of the children of its employees, including the military and police forces. The Mainlanders, who had followed the KMT regime to the island, have clustered in governmental employment and have been a stronghold of support to the regime. The ethnic difference in social mobility thus was partly a consequence of political control and political manipulation form the regime.