Latest news with #socialmobility
Washington Post
12 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Is the American Dream still alive today?
Whether a person grew up in a crowded tenement building, at the end of a dusty road in farm country, or traveled over land and sea to get there, the promise of America was always a better life for its striving workers — and especially their children. That was the dream. Today there is widespread skepticism among the public that the American Dream — however they personally define it — is still possible. For many, the notion that hard work can reliably lift people up and that the next generation will be financially better off is simply a relic of the past. But what's the reality? Take our quiz and test your knowledge of the facts. ✓ Check Yourself The Post partnered with Gapminder, a Swedish nonprofit, to survey 600 people ages 18 to 65. The sample was balanced to reflect U.S. demography. 1 of 5 In the U.S. in 1970, around 90% of 30-year-olds earned more money than their parents had at about the same age. What is that number for the 30-year-olds of today? Around 30% Around 50% Around 70% Story continues below advertisement Advertisement 2 of 5 Around 40% of Black children born into poverty in the U.S. in 1978 remained in poverty as adults. What was this number for Black adults born in 1992? Around 30% Around 50% Around 70% 3 of 5 What factor do researchers think is the top predictor of whether a person who is born into a low-income family becomes middle class in the U.S.? Working close to home Having high-income friends More available jobs Two chairs in Hawthorne — a quiet, suburban-feeling neighborhood that sits north of Friendship Heights and Chevy Chase — on June 21, 2019, in D.C. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) 4 of 5 What share of adults under 50 in the U.S. say they have either achieved the American Dream or on their way to achieving it? Around 25% Around 45% Around 65% 5 of 5 Where in the U.S. are children born into poor families more likely to be upwardly mobile and earn more than their parents as adults? Northeast (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) Midwest (Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska) Pacific West (California, Oregon, Washington) 0 of 5 Your score:
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
If you went to state school, do you ever feel British life is rigged against you? Welcome to the 93% Club
For the first time in our history, we have a cabinet made up entirely of people who went to state schools. Several, including prime minister Keir Starmer, come from working-class backgrounds; some, such as deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, were raised in conditions of poverty that feel as if they ought to belong to another age. So far so good. What better signs could one ask for to show that Britain is a meritocracy, social mobility is real and anyone can rise to the top provided they have talent, commitment and determination? And yet it might be that in some ways these are exceptions that prove a rule: the rule being that for all the changes made down the years, a private education continues to give a disproportionate advantage to those – currently 7% – who use it. Yes, we have a state-educated cabinet and more state-schooled MPs than ever. Yet more broadly throughout the establishment, when looking at senior positions across Whitehall, the judiciary, law, media and finance, the 7% club continues to hold a disproportionate presence, and therefore to exercise disproportionate cultural and political power. That 7% figure is what gave rise to the 93% Club, the UK's network for state-educated people. Its latest report, the Big State School Survey, merits careful reading by anyone who thinks that because we have the most working-class cabinet of our lifetime, the old class divides are gone and the dream of genuine social mobility has been delivered. The survey suggests that though state-educated students may be the majority by far, it is the 93% who have to fit in with the attitudes and actions of the 7% rather than the other way round. The overwhelming sense of the research is that talk of class continues to be brushed aside as impolite conversation – yet it continues to determine who will thrive, who will falter and who is forced to adopt a new cultural identity just to get into the room. What the survey does is show the emotional cost of having to leave parts of your identity and community behind to thrive. It brings a darker side of social mobility into the light. The journey starts at university. For many, the culture shock is instant. Nearly three-quarters of all state school students reported experiencing it. That figure rises to 91% among those from working-class backgrounds, and 94% of students believe that university culture naturally caters to the wealthy. The little things add up. Three in four students say they miss out on formals and dinners (a component of life at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge). Many say they can't afford to join sports teams or take part in extracurricular activities. The result is not just feeling out of place but feeling like the place was never meant for you despite your having worked hard to get there. The divide doesn't end with a degree. In fact, it deepens: 93% of working-class professionals say their background clashes with workplace culture. Many end up straddling two worlds, the one they came from and the one they now operate in, feeling that they don't fully belong to either. To fit in, people say they start to change. Accent. Clothes. Hobbies. Even what they eat and drink. These are not small cosmetic tweaks. They're survival tactics in environments that reward polish over potential. And while a lot of this happens quietly – with a smile, a nod, a stiff upper lip mentality – the impact is loud and lasting; 61% of respondents said they had to leave their community behind to progress. Nearly half said their friendships changed. Some grew distant from their families. This is not social mobility – it's a social trade-off. I've long been a fan of the 93% Club, not least because its 29-year-old founder, Sophie Pender, knows first-hand what it means to come from nothing and make it in the City with few tools or support at her disposal. And what's refreshing about what her organisation is doing is that it's not accepting the status quo or burning it down. Instead, it is retooling the idea of an old boys' network to serve state school graduates – an old boys' and old girls' network for the many, not the few, you might say. The question now is: do we want a country where success still depends on knowing the right people, sounding the right way and fitting into the right mould? Or do we want one where talent is prized and diversity of thought guaranteed? Real social mobility shouldn't come at the cost of your character. It shouldn't mean sanding down your accent, hiding where you're from or second-guessing how you dress, speak or behave. It should mean being able to walk into any room and be taken seriously. A cabinet that reflects that reality is a start – but it can't be the end goal. If we want lasting change, we need more than symbolism – we need infrastructure. A nationwide state-school alumni network that offers the kind of cultural capital, career support and peer sponsorship long taken for granted by the privately educated. A network that not only helps people navigate elite spaces but also mobilises them to rework the cultures within them. The 93% Club has already made significant strides in creating this infrastructure, but it still has work to do. They're asking others to join in – to share their time, open doors and help rewire the systems that still quietly reward one kind of background over another. It's not a pipe dream. It's a proven model that private schools have used for centuries. It's high time we repurposed it to build a country where people can succeed by not leaving their identity at the door but by walking through it the way they are. Alastair Campbell is a former journalist turned strategist and spokesperson for the Labour party. He is now a writer, podcaster, consultant strategist and mental health campaigner
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Getting in is just the start: Northumbria University's ambitious push for social mobility
From support for an outreach centre that helps children as young as seven with their schoolwork to academics researching the benefits of a universal basic income, a commitment to driving social mobility and tackling inequality is deeply ingrained in Northumbria University's DNA. Participation in higher education remains lower in the north-east of England than in other parts of the country, and while Northumbria has an impressive record on access – 40% of its students come from areas with low rates of higher education participation, the highest of any research-intensive university – it's constantly striving to ensure students from all backgrounds can excel. For vice-chancellor Prof Andy Long, what makes Northumbria stand out is its recognition that social mobility for universities is not just about students getting in – the business of 'widening participation' – but getting on: making sure they have all they need to do well both in their studies and when they graduate. Long has set an ambitious new target: making sure that by 2030, students from low-participation backgrounds are just as likely as any of their peers to be in highly skilled work or further study 15 months after they graduate. 'It's no good just chipping away at the gap in outcomes,' he says. 'We want to eliminate it.' That means making sure courses are taught flexibly in a way that fits around other demands students may be juggling, such as caring responsibilities or doing part-time work to support themselves. Students facing extra challenges, such as care leavers or caregivers, are given additional support through schemes such as NU Belong or the Higher Education Without Barriers fund. Most important for Long is a drive to include meaningful experiential learning – learning by doing – in every programme, so students who may have no links with the world of work associated with their studies have the opportunity to realise they could flourish in it. Final-year law students, for instance, work alongside a qualified solicitor from the student law office doing pro bono work in the community, while business school students act as 'consultants' for local companies. 'I've spoken to law students who will tell me they don't know anyone who works in the legal profession,' Long says. 'Our approach ensures they can make those links that then give them the experience and confidence to think they could pursue it as a career.' When it comes to raising aspirations, Northumbria's Allstars guidance programme offers outreach sessions at schools across the north-east and priority access to university taster days and scholarships. And in 2021, Northumbria worked with the charity IntoUniversity, together with Newcastle University, to open the region's first IntoUniversity centre, where seven to 18-year-olds experiencing disadvantage can get support with academic work, university applications and more, plus opportunities such as visits from employers, mentoring and work experience. This centre, in Newcastle's east end, has worked with more than 2,000 students so far – with 64% of leavers going on to higher education – and a second centre, in Gateshead, will open in September. Ryder Architecture, a long-term partner of the university, supports IntoUniversity through Northumbria's Higher Education Without Barriers fund, and offers work experience and workshops with its people. Managing director Mark Thompson says: 'IntoUniversity helps us put more structure around our work with school-age children and young people, and links it to an outcome too, where students are actively encouraged to consider university. Anything that inspires somebody to push themselves academically and want to do more has to be a good thing.' The company, which helped Northumbria University develop its architecture degree apprenticeship, has put colleagues through the course, and has provided work placement opportunities for Northumbria students across the business. 'We do well out of it as well,' says Thompson, who studied at the university back when it was Newcastle Polytechnic. 'There's a business benefit to unearthing people on our doorstep who might otherwise go into different careers.' At Bede academy, a local school in Blyth, Northumberland, and longtime Allstars partner, Northumbria University has been instrumental in the development and delivery of a new T-level course in health. The course is equivalent to three A-levels and designed as an alternative route to university and careers in the NHS and social care. As well as supporting the school with the design of the curriculum and upskilling staff to deliver the course, Northumbria helped create a brand new healthcare training facility that simulates a hospital environment, giving students hands-on experience. 'Northumbria have been absolutely phenomenal in supporting us,' says the school's principal, Andrew Thelwell, who pays tribute to the university's 'strong moral purpose' around social mobility. 'We can't speak highly enough of their dedication, commitment and passion.' But it's not just about the facilities, Thelwell says – or even the professional workplace uniforms the university provides that are worn proudly by the students every day. 'Our students are working alongside university staff at the age of 16 or 17, and building professional relationships with them,' he says. 'They start to see themselves heading towards university – it becomes something very real for them. And that really is transformative.' The first cohort of students are now finishing their first year, and the vast majority are expected to apply for university places. Northumbria will provide support with that process too, and the school is now exploring future partnerships around sports education. It's clear that the university recognises the important role it plays in transforming lives in all aspects of its work, with Northumbria's dedication to addressing inequality extending to its research too. Researchers within its Centre for Health and Social Equity are working to drive policy reform with the Healthy Living Lab, which explores the links between public health and food insecurity, playing a pivotal role in encouraging the government to invest millions in national school breakfast and holiday clubs to better support children and families. Ultimately, Long says, equality of opportunity is an issue for society as a whole. 'If you don't pay attention to this, everybody will be worse off. I want everybody to have the opportunity to succeed, whatever their background.' Find out more about how Northumbria University is shaping futures and driving change
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Pell Grants Are an Engine of Social Mobility. Don't Cut Them.
To preserve tax cuts for the wealthy, the Republican budget reconciliation proposals moving through Congress cut programs for the neediest in ways that will lead to higher costs for everyone in the long run. The plans include not only cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, but also to Pell Grants, the program that provides federal assistance for higher education. The first Pell Grant was awarded in 1973 and since then has helped millions of low-income students attend college. The grants overwhelmingly go to the poorest households — only 6% of Pell Grant recipients come from families that earn over $60,000 annually. The program's reputation as an engine of social mobility has long given it bipartisan support — but now, the Senate's plan will harm the lowest-income recipients by reducing the eligibility of working students.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Nationwide boss Debbie Crosbie to be made a Dame in Birthday honours
Nationwide boss Debbie Crosbie said she was left 'hugely proud' of her Glaswegian upbringing after being made a Dame in the King's Birthday Honours. Crosbie, 55, who has led Britain's biggest building society since 2022, hopes it will inspire others to follow her path. 'Lots of people talk about me being a female but I think most of my peer group have come from a much higher social demographic and they tended to be educated in either Oxford or Cambridge,' she said. 'I think having that diverse social mobility as well as gender is really important.' Crosbie, who started at Clydesdale Bank in Scotland, said: 'I am actually hugely proud. I grew up in Glasgow, I wasn't different to any of my peer group, so to be given the opportunity to lead – I've had a massively rewarding career. 'As a woman, I hope that sends a message of opportunity and hope.'
