The Myth of Meritocracy
Why Working-Class Kids Still Get Working-Class Jobs
Seiten
2016
Biteback Publishing (Verlag)
978-1-78590-053-2 (ISBN)
Biteback Publishing (Verlag)
978-1-78590-053-2 (ISBN)
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James Bloodworth tackles the thorny issue of class, privilege and wealth in contemporary Britain, taking to task the major political parties in the process.
The best jobs in Britain today are overwhelmingly done by the children of the wealthy. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult for bright but poor kids to transcend their circumstances. This state of affairs should not only worry the less well-off. It hurts the middle classes too, who are increasingly locked out of the top professions by those from affluent backgrounds.Hitherto, Labour and Conservative politicians alike have sought to deal with the problem by promoting the idea of 'equality of opportunity'. In politics, social mobility is the only game in town, and old socialist arguments emphasising economic equality are about as fashionable today as mullets and shell suits. Yet genuine equality of opportunity is impossible alongside levels of inequality last seen during the 1930s. In a grossly unequal society, the privileges of the parents unfailingly become the privileges of the children.A vague commitment from our politicians to build a 'meritocracy' is not enough. Nor is it desirable: a perfectly stratified meritocracy, in which everyone knew their station based on 'merit', would be a deeply unpleasant place to live.Any genuine attempt to improve social mobility must start by reducing the gap between rich and poor.
The best jobs in Britain today are overwhelmingly done by the children of the wealthy. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult for bright but poor kids to transcend their circumstances. This state of affairs should not only worry the less well-off. It hurts the middle classes too, who are increasingly locked out of the top professions by those from affluent backgrounds.Hitherto, Labour and Conservative politicians alike have sought to deal with the problem by promoting the idea of 'equality of opportunity'. In politics, social mobility is the only game in town, and old socialist arguments emphasising economic equality are about as fashionable today as mullets and shell suits. Yet genuine equality of opportunity is impossible alongside levels of inequality last seen during the 1930s. In a grossly unequal society, the privileges of the parents unfailingly become the privileges of the children.A vague commitment from our politicians to build a 'meritocracy' is not enough. Nor is it desirable: a perfectly stratified meritocracy, in which everyone knew their station based on 'merit', would be a deeply unpleasant place to live.Any genuine attempt to improve social mobility must start by reducing the gap between rich and poor.
James Bloodworth is a columnist for the International Business Times and the former editor of the political blog Left Foot Forward. James has written on various political topics, both international and domestic, for The Times, The Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Beast, the New Statesman and other publications. He is a regular commentator on the BBC and Sky News.
| Erscheinungsdatum | 18.05.2016 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | Provocations |
| Zusatzinfo | Illustrations |
| Verlagsort | London |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 90 x 120 mm |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Essays / Feuilleton |
| Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie ► Makrosoziologie | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-78590-053-6 / 1785900536 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-78590-053-2 / 9781785900532 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
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Buch | Softcover (2025)
Vahlen (Verlag)
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