ABSTRACT
The creation of a ‘fairer’ society through social mobility is high on the political agenda in the United Kingdom (Cabinet Office 2011; Heath and Zimdars 2011), and in other developed economies (OECD 2010). This article will assess the prospects for social mobility, especially through initiatives to improve the life-chances of those from less advantaged backgrounds (Payne 2012). It will be argued that the way the ‘problem’ of intergenerational mobility is framed in public policy neglects key lessons from sociological studies, including the pioneering work of Glass (1954), Halsey, Heath, and Ridge (1980), and Goldthorpe, Llewellyn, and Payne (1980). While acknowledging the contribution of these and more recent sociological studies,1 significant changes in the fields of education, employment and the labour market call for a revised and extended approach.
