Downward mobility from top backgrounds even rarer than previously thought
Only a tiny fraction of children from the most privileged backgrounds will end up in working class jobs, suggesting that social mobility in the UK may be even more limited than previously thought.
New research from the University of Kent, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, reveals that by age 30, only 10% of men and women from top backgrounds – such as the children of doctors, lawyers, and executives – are in working class occupations, while nearly seven in 10 hold highly paid or prestigious positions. Even when advantaged backgrounds are defined more broadly, downward mobility into working class roles remains limited to just 15%.
The study, conducted by Dr Robert de Vries and published in Social Science Research, suggests that previous research has overestimated rates of downward mobility by focusing exclusively on technical measures of occupational class, while ignoring the prestige attached to certain positions. This leads to people from elite backgrounds in highly sought after, prestigious roles – for example in the creative industries – being classified as downwardly mobile.
The research accounted for this by examining parental origins and destination occupations in terms of both prestige and class. As well as revealing substantially lower rates of downward mobility from the most privileged backgrounds, this also revealed pronounced gender differences. Men from advantaged backgrounds were more likely to enter highly paid roles in, for example, business or finance, whereas women from similar backgrounds were much more likely to pursue careers in teaching or creative professions. As a result, women from elite backgrounds frequently inherited their parents’ social status, but not their financial advantage, whereas men tend to inherit both.
Dr de Vries’ findings are based on an analysis of data from more than 94,000 respondents to the UK Labour Force Survey – the UK’s largest representative household survey.
Dr de Vries, Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Sociology at the University’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, said: ‘This research shows that the UK’s ‘glass floor’ is even sturdier than we realised. The children of the most advantaged families face almost no risk of significant downward mobility – with the most likely outcome being a smooth path into a highly prestigious or highly paid job (or both). The study also reveals substantial gender inequality even among the children of privilege, with women from top backgrounds often ending up in roles that are prestigious but less financially rewarding than those of their male peers.
‘Falling sideways? Social status and the true nature of elite downward mobility’ (Robert de Vries) is published in Social Science Research, Vol 124.
Only a tiny fraction of children from the most privileged backgrounds will end up in working class jobs, suggesting that social mobility in the UK may be even more limited than previously thought.
New research from the University of Kent, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, reveals that by age 30, only 10% of men and women from top backgrounds – such as the children of doctors, lawyers, and executives – are in working class occupations, while nearly seven in 10 hold highly paid or prestigious positions. Even when advantaged backgrounds are defined more broadly, downward mobility into working class roles remains limited to just 15%.
The study, conducted by Dr Robert de Vries and published in Social Science Research, suggests that previous research has overestimated rates of downward mobility by focusing exclusively on technical measures of occupational class, while ignoring the prestige attached to certain positions. This leads to people from elite backgrounds in highly sought after, prestigious roles – for example in the creative industries – being classified as downwardly mobile.
The research accounted for this by examining parental origins and destination occupations in terms of both prestige and class. As well as revealing substantially lower rates of downward mobility from the most privileged backgrounds, this also revealed pronounced gender differences. Men from advantaged backgrounds were more likely to enter highly paid roles in, for example, business or finance, whereas women from similar backgrounds were much more likely to pursue careers in teaching or creative professions. As a result, women from elite backgrounds frequently inherited their parents’ social status, but not their financial advantage, whereas men tend to inherit both.
Dr de Vries’ findings are based on an analysis of data from more than 94,000 respondents to the UK Labour Force Survey – the UK’s largest representative household survey.
Dr de Vries, Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Sociology at the University’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, said: ‘This research shows that the UK’s ‘glass floor’ is even sturdier than we realised. The children of the most advantaged families face almost no risk of significant downward mobility – with the most likely outcome being a smooth path into a highly prestigious or highly paid job (or both). The study also reveals substantial gender inequality even among the children of privilege, with women from top backgrounds often ending up in roles that are prestigious but less financially rewarding than those of their male peers.
‘Falling sideways? Social status and the true nature of elite downward mobility’ (Robert de Vries) is published in Social Science Research, Vol 124.
Journal
Social Science Research
Method of Research
Survey
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Falling sideways? Social status and the true nature of elite downward mobility
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