Full Description
Politicians continually tell us that anyone can get ahead. But is that really true? This important, best-selling book takes readers behind the closed doors of elite employers to reveal how class affects who gets to the top.
Friedman and Laurison show that a powerful 'class pay gap' exists in Britain's elite occupations. Even when those from working-class backgrounds make it into prestigious jobs, they earn, on average, 16% less than colleagues from privileged backgrounds. But why is this the case? Drawing on 175 interviews across four case studies - television, accountancy, architecture, and acting - they explore the complex barriers facing the upwardly mobile.
This is a rich, ambitious book that demands we take seriously not just the glass but also the class ceiling.
Contents
Introduction
Getting in
Getting on
Untangling the class pay gap
Inside elite firms
The bank of Mum and Dad
A helping hand
Fitting in
View from the top
Self-elimination
Class ceilings: A new approach to social mobility
Conclusion
Epilogue: 10 ways to break the class ceiling
