In The United States of America, where by working hard and taking advantage of the capitalist society in which we live is supposed to allow anyone from any social status to climb the ladder of success (the American Dream) the dream is to a large extent not being fulfilled.
Miles Corak, a full professor with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa compared 12 countries, measuring the link between a child's success in the labour market and the family's economic status. A strong link equates to low social mobility.
SOCIAL MOBILITY
TOP
Denmark
Norway
Finland
Canada
BOTTOM
France
US
Italy
UK
x-posted at Progressive Blue
In an article entitled Looking for the land of opportunity online from BBC, the discussion ranges from the inequities in the classroom to the perks of nepotism as well as the Good Old Boys Network. If you have time, click through and read this in it's entirety.
Some highlights from the article below:
President Barack Obama, the first black president, epitomises this; but all too often the dream fails to match reality.
The truth is that the US sits with the UK at the bottom of the international league table of social mobility.
Family background has as strong an influence on socio-economic opportunity in the classless United States as it does in the supposedly hidebound class-ridden UK.
In terms of giving children a good start in life and having a fair labour market, both countries probably have much to learn from those at the top of the league table - Finland, Norway and Canada, among others.
Family background has a strong influnce on a person's schooling? You mean, they are trying to tell me that you could take a total moran from a well connected family and get said moran into a prestigious Ivy League college just because the family is well connected? Yeah right! The next thing they'll be telling us is that said Ivy League schooled moran could grow up to be President of the United States, just because he had the right family ties!
snip
Class in the classroom
Finland spent no more per pupil than the UK; the United States the most.
School financing in the US, based on local property taxes, is a strong force for concentrating advantage across the generations.
More affluent parents in America shop for schools, move neighbourhoods and spend a great deal on private tuition for their children.
This is in sharp contrast to the broad-based and universal structure of the Finnish system.
OK. Once again, the USA pays more per child for schooling, but not unlike our health care debacle, other countries are spending far less per person and receiving much better results.
snip
Nepotism
If the UK and the US have the lowest degree of social mobility it is not only because poorer children don't get the best start in life, but also because the stakes are higher.
In both countries labour markets are more unequal than elsewhere.
The barriers - both implicit and explicit - to entry into particular occupations, sectors and even firms are higher.
Taxes are less progressive and the gap between low and high incomes is greater.
Whether the degree of social mobility is a problem that needs to be addressed by our politicians depends very much upon the underlying causes.
Children are like their parents for all sorts of reasons, some of which are valued by the labour market.
If the reason adult incomes resemble that of their parents has to do with parental values and styles, and instilling motivation, then most of us would also agree there is likely little role for public policy.
The article goes on to discuss how the good ol' boys network works hand-in-hand with the high amount of nepotism seen in the USA and UK, yet this isn't nearly as prevelant in countries such as Canada, whose labor market is closest in structure to the USA.
It comes as no surprise to many of we progressives that have often remarked on the haves and the have nots and how the cycle is perpetuated by the top 1% who rule America. You can work hard and perhaps get ahead, but you aren't joining their club no matter what.
That is a wall we must work to break down. I'm happy to announce that we are! Keep fighting!