What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Social Mobility?

Britain has become a country defined by economic, geographical, and political divides. Its low social mobility is an increasingly pressing issue and the failure to do something now will mean greater problems for future generations, but what can be done to reverse this trend. Through the use of cutting-edge data this book summarises what we know about social mobility in Britain, documenting the history of mobility trends since the Second World War; detailing the recent dark age of declining absolute mobility, charting the variation of social mobility by place; and considering how family traits affect intergenerational mobility. The authors then call for a fundamental shift in debates about social mobility, arguing that simply tinkering with current policies will not transform society to the extent that is needed. Only by establishing general principles of fairness in society- relating to notions of community and collective responsibility – can we agree the major policy reforms that can make Britain a more mobile and just society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The ‘What Do We Know and What Should We Do About...?′ series offers readers short, up-to-date overviews of key issues often misrepresented, simplified or misunderstood in modern society and the media. Each book is written by a leading social scientist with an established reputation in the relevant subject area. The Series Editor is Professor Chris Grey, Royal Holloway, University of London