Social class remains master of our fate
Research finds a working class background still holds people back despite apparent 'success'
FOR all of British society's claims to meritocracy, social class still matters.
Our parents' socio-economic 'caste' goes a long way towards shaping the course of our lives; even for those who 'escape' their working class origins, 'get on', and forge an otherwise successful life.
That's according to researchers from the University of York, who found that our class background remains very much a barrier to accessing opportunity later in life.
The study involved a longitudinal analysis of census data about people born between 1965 and 1981 who were working in higher managerial and professional occupations by the age of 30 to 36.
By 'crunching' the data of more than 8,000 professionals and higher-level managers, they found that those from a wealthy background were more likely to move around the UK – and live in some of the most affluent areas – compared to those from working class backgrounds.
“We explored whether people had moved home over a distance of 28km from when they were aged 10 to 16, considered the occupations of their parents, how often they moved, and the level of affluence of the area they moved to,” said Dr Daniel McArthur, from the university's Department of Education.
“We found that approximately 60% of those with higher managerial and professional parents made at least one long-distance move, compared to those whose parents were in more ‘routine’ jobs, where only 30% had moved.
“Higher managers and professionals were more likely to live in affluent areas as children than those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Where you live, matters a great deal; as does where you can afford to move to, it would seem.
Given England's notorious housing crisis, and the existence of 'hotspots' of rising unaffordability – London being a prime example, but of course there are others such as Manchester – this presumably only serves to worsen the issue.
Even so, this 'area gap' persists throughout adulthood, according to the study, which was carried out in collaboration with Katherina Hecht from Northeastern University in Boston, USA. Those from less privileged backgrounds are unable to close the gap on their peers even when they do move areas.
Furthermore, those who have higher managers and professionals as parents are more likely to receive transfers of wealth, which puts them in an even better position to be able to buy houses in more advantaged areas in later life.
“Where people live matters for their access to well paying jobs and good schools for their children,” McArthur added. “As a result, the ability of those from affluent backgrounds to move to wealthier areas is likely to make it easier for them to pass their advantages on to their children.”
From its findings, the research teams suggests that policymakers should be aware of the implications for the economy as much as society.
Barriers preventing “upwardly mobile” moves to some of the UK's most “economically dynamic” areas may well reinforce long-term inequalities, they suggest, but also dampen innovation and productivity. That's because, they argue, particular areas of the country will ‘miss out’ on the skills and talents of people who are unable to live there.
However, the team say that more research is needed to understand what policy measures could make it easier for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to move areas.
The research was published in the British Sociological Association’s journal, Sociology.
MC