Research shows that classroom education is still a marker of “success” later in life

Research from the University of York has found that class background remains a barrier to accessing opportunities in later life even for those who achieve success.

In a study of more than 8,000 professionals and senior managers, researchers found that those who came from wealthy families were significantly more likely to move around the UK and live in some of the wealthiest areas compared to those who worked from jobs. classroom backgrounds. .

The study included an extended analysis of census data on people born between 1965 and 1981 who worked in senior management and professional positions between the ages of 30 and 36.

Level of affluence

Dr Daniel MacArthur, from the University of York’s Department of Education, says: ‘We looked at whether people had moved home more than 28km from the time they were 10 to 16 years old, given that classes their parents, how often they moved and the wealth level of the area they moved to.

“We found that approximately 60% of parents in senior management and professional positions had moved long-distance at least once, compared to those whose parents held more ‘regular’ jobs, where only 30% had moved.

“Senior managers and professionals are more likely to have lived in affluent neighborhoods as children than people from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Area gap

The study, conducted in collaboration with Katharina Hecht of Northeastern University in Boston, USA, found that this “area gap” persists into adulthood, when members of less privileged families are unable to close the gap compared to their peers, even if they move.

Those who have senior leaders and professionals as parents are more likely to receive a transfer of wealth, making them even more advantageous for the opportunity to buy homes in more favorable areas later in life.

Location matters

Dr. MacArthur says that “where people live matters to their access to good-paying jobs and good schools for their children. As a result of the ability of those with wealthy origin to move to more affluent areas is likely to make it easier for them to pass on their preferences to their children.’

The research suggests policymakers need to be aware that barriers to more mobile people moving to some of the UK’s most economically dynamic areas could have implications not only for long-term inequality, but also for innovation and productivity, as individual areas of the country will ” miss out” on the skills and talents of people who cannot live there.

More research is needed to understand what policy measures can facilitate the movement of people from poor families.

The study is published in the journal Sociology.