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A renaissance for social mobility and its significance for the bridge towards postsecondary education

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  • Ritzen, Jo

    () (UNU-MERIT, and Maastricht University)

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    Abstract

    Inequality in earned wages is in our western society on the increase. Social mobility is on the decrease. The contribution of education to equality of opportunity is decreasing, because education adapts more slowly to the increasing complexities of our societies than the home and social environment of the upper class and the upper part of the middle class. These are the forewarnings of a meltdown of the nuclear fusion reactor providing the energy of our societies: trust between social groups and hope of social betterment now and in the future for the next generation. Can meltdown be prevented by education, by a renaissance of social mobility and what social engineering would be needed to bring this about? This is the main question we address here, focused on K-12 (as well as Early Childhood Development), against a substantiation of the above background. We address this question in the context of the transition from high school to postsecondary education. This paper is written for a seminar-session on the transition of youngsters through the education system, from ECD through K-12 from the perspective of the potential future participation in higher education and from the prospects of children for a future, solid position in society, which always starts with the position on the labour market.

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    File URL: http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2011/wp2011-057.pdf
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    Bibliographic Info

    Paper provided by United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology in its series UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series with number 057.

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    Date of creation: 2011
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    Handle: RePEc:dgr:unumer:2011057

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    Web page: http://www.merit.unu.edu

    Related research

    Keywords: postsecondary education; higher education; income inequality; income distribution; job mobility; social mobility; economic development; education policy;

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    1. Aakvik, Arild & Salvanes, Kjell Gunnar & Vaage, Kjell, 2005. "Educational Attainment and Family Background," Working Papers in Economics 10/05, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    2. Maurin, Eric, 2002. "The impact of parental income on early schooling transitions: A re-examination using data over three generations," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(3), pages 301-332, September.
    3. Finnie, Ross Laporte, Christine Lascelles, Eric, 2004. "Family Background and Access to Post-secondary Education: What Happened over the 1990s?," Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series 2004226e, Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies Branch.
    4. Tazeen Fasih, 2008. "Linking Education Policy to Labor Market Outcomes," World Bank Publications, The World Bank, number 6407.
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