Policy Press
One The need for a holistic theory of social mobility
Abstract
This chapter outlines the three reasons why the present approach to social mobility is unsustainable. Firstly, It is contributing to dramatic rises in inequality. By focusing so much on economic measures of success this make it harder to construct cross-society coalitions in favour of redistribution policy. Secondly, it depends on jobs that are not there. The drive to raise educational attainment is necessary but not sufficient to lead to significant upward economic social mobility. The chapter argues that evidence suggests that there will not be an expansion of higher income jobs required to facilitate such mobility in the near future. Thirdly, the chapter argues that upward economic mobility doesn’t lead to a better life anyway drawing on the work into the Easterlin paradox to argue that happiness does not increase commensurate to income beyond a certain point. The chapter concludes by describing a holistic approach to social mobility that give greater weight to non-economic factors in understanding success and progress in life.
Abstract
This chapter outlines the three reasons why the present approach to social mobility is unsustainable. Firstly, It is contributing to dramatic rises in inequality. By focusing so much on economic measures of success this make it harder to construct cross-society coalitions in favour of redistribution policy. Secondly, it depends on jobs that are not there. The drive to raise educational attainment is necessary but not sufficient to lead to significant upward economic social mobility. The chapter argues that evidence suggests that there will not be an expansion of higher income jobs required to facilitate such mobility in the near future. Thirdly, the chapter argues that upward economic mobility doesn’t lead to a better life anyway drawing on the work into the Easterlin paradox to argue that happiness does not increase commensurate to income beyond a certain point. The chapter concludes by describing a holistic approach to social mobility that give greater weight to non-economic factors in understanding success and progress in life.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of figures and tables iv
- About the author v
- Acknowledgements vi
- Introduction 1
- The need for a holistic theory of social mobility 11
- Social mobility: rising, falling or staying the same 29
- Unpicking the political consensus on social mobility 53
- Going beyond attainment 65
- Unbundling, diversification and the ecological university: new models for higher education 85
- The shape of the labour market: hourglass, diamond or molecule? 109
- Social mobility, well-being and class 123
- A new politics of social mobility 141
- Reframing social mobility 163
- Bibliography 175
- Index 205
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of figures and tables iv
- About the author v
- Acknowledgements vi
- Introduction 1
- The need for a holistic theory of social mobility 11
- Social mobility: rising, falling or staying the same 29
- Unpicking the political consensus on social mobility 53
- Going beyond attainment 65
- Unbundling, diversification and the ecological university: new models for higher education 85
- The shape of the labour market: hourglass, diamond or molecule? 109
- Social mobility, well-being and class 123
- A new politics of social mobility 141
- Reframing social mobility 163
- Bibliography 175
- Index 205
