Synopses & Reviews
As Graeme Atherton shows in this timely book, the economistic way of thinking about social mobility favored by politicians and academics is narrow, unsustainable, and actually contributes to rising inequality. Atherton offers an alternative vision of social mobility based on improving overall well-beingnot just income or occupationand provides a road map to achieve it. After examining how the term social mobility structures our understanding of successand the impact that understanding has on societyAtherton outlines a holistic approach that encompasses education, economics, and politics. In so doing he recasts the relationship between employees and employers, embracing radical opportunities provided by technology; rethinks the very nature of higher education; and looks beyond employment to incorporate progress in non-work areas of life. An innovative take on one of the key issues facing twenty-first century society, this book provides valuable insights for policy makers and academics.
Synopsis
At a time when the shape of society in the UK is changing, this book makes clear what social mobility is and explores what enables upward mobility. Education is seen as a key element in creating opportunities and life chances central to developing a more equal society, but the diminishing level of opportunity available to people from lower socio-economic groups is increasingly causing concern.
Professor Stuart examines the role of higher education in supporting social mobility from the viewpoint of students who went to university during the last half century. Based on nearly 150 life history accounts from graduates who were the first in their families to enter higher education, she shows how individuals moved from their families, often in poor communities, to achieve at university and go on to work in academia. Through a life history approach, the author analyzes these graduates' perceptions of the changes to their lives, their social position and its effect on their identities. The stories reveal a pattern of movement and of flow, often locating the individuals between and within class, gender and ethnic identities, and linking theories of social mobility to the wider debates on an increasingly mobile world. The book tracks the impact of changes to policies for higher education from the 1950s to the present day through the lens of individual life stories and richly details the effects of political decisions on ordinary people's lives.
Governments of all flavors have expressed interest in the question of social mobility. Social Mobility and Higher Education is important reading for policy makers, teachers, academics and university managers.
Synopsis
Professor Stuart examines the role of higher education in supporting social mobility from the viewpoint of students who went to English universities during the last half century. Based on nearly 150 life history accounts from graduates who were the first in their families to enter higher education, she shows how individuals moved from their families to achieve at university and go on to work in academia. The book tracks the impact of changes to policies for higher education from the 1950s to the present day through the lens of individual life stories and richly details the effects of political decisions on ordinary people's lives.
About the Author
Graeme Atherton has been working to promote access to higher education and social mobility for nearly twenty years. As chair of the European Access Network's World Congress on Access to Post-Secondary Education, he is leading a global movement to open up opportunities for learners to benefit from education over the life course and across the world.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why we need a new theory of social mobility
Rising, Falling or staying the same? The academic discourse on social mobility
Unpicking the political consensus on social mobility
Breaking the Attainment Addiction
Unbundling, diversification and ecological: New models for Higher Education
Hourglass, molecule or pyramid? Social mobility and the labour market
Social Mobility, well-being and class
A new politics for social mobility
Conclusions: Re-framing social mobility