Description
Book SynopsisIn the UK, as in other rich countries, the `playing-field' is anything but level and the family plays a surprisingly crucial part in maintaining inequality. This book explores how seemingly mundane aspects of family life raise fundamental questions of social justice and calls for a rethink of what equality of opportunity means.
Trade Review"A must for everyone interested in making the UK a fair, just and rewarding society... Gideon Calder asks difficult questions and offers thoughtful and thought-provoking ideas."?? Kate Pickett, University of York.
"Reveals the role of families in reproducing inequalities and shows what’s unjust about this - a brilliant critique of popular thinking about social mobility and meritocracy." Andrew Sayer, Lancaster University
"Calder combines penetrative data-analysis with philosophical insights to myth-bust and shed much needed light on families, inequalities, and social mobility." Steve Smith, University of South Wales
"Calder is to be congratulated on producing a book that merits wide reading, not only by social science/social policy students...it makes a valuable contribution to the canon." - People, Place and Policy
"Thought provoking for academics, students, and any members of the public who happen to pick this book up. Placing the family at the centre of analysis allows Calder to create a refreshing and accessible insight into social mobility debates. Assessing key theories of social justice, equality, and social mobility, he is able to make clear the complex web of considerations and contradictions that rest at the heart of inequality debates in contemporary Western societies." Social Policy & Administration
Table of ContentsIntroduction The family and social justice Social mobility and class fate Unpacking equality of opportunity Towards real equality of life chances? Seven conclusions
