Why social mobility - and social & cultural capital - matters

Social mobility remains one of the most underexplored areas of diversity, equity and inclusion despite being an important part of the intersectional mix when it comes to ensuring everyone is able to achieve their potential.

Things may be changing, however, as initiatives like the Social Mobility Employer Index and the UK Social Mobility Awards show, and a new report highlights the economic boost a commitment to social mobility could bring. The report, The Opportunity Effect, from Demos and the Co-op makes a strong business case for more specific action on social mobility.

It comes at an important moment with the new Government talking about the need to break down barriers to opportunity as part of a decade of national renewal, having pledged to make socioeconomic background a protected characteristic under the 2010 Equality Act.

Five strategies

The report says that if employers were to take up five strategies that support greater social mobility, this could equate to a ￡1.8bn rise in private sector business profits. A survey for the report also finds public support for action, with 29% of UK consumers saying they would be more likely to purchase from a company promoting social mobility.

The report lists a number of changes that could be made to prioritise social mobility following years of stagnation and a widening of wealth and income inequality.

The Co-op has been championing social mobility for some time, making it a core part of its strategy and becoming the first retailer to publish a socioeconomic pay gap report earlier this year. It is looking to create business toolkits next year which will offer practical steps businesses can take to greater inclusion.

In the report, Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of the Co-op, says: “It cannot be right that our life chances are often defined by our backgrounds, and this is an open goal of an opportunity on which we must take action.” I couldn’t agree more.

Intersectional inequality

While the report focuses on many different areas, including education and careers advice, my focus is on work barriers and the overlap between the barriers facing different groups of people in the workplace. The report indeed mentions how socio-economic status interacts with gender and ethnicity.

It cites a 2023 Social Mobility Foundation study which notes the “double disadvantage” that hits professional women from working-class backgrounds, with a ￡7,042 pay gap between those from working-class and professional-managerial origins in the same occupation. It also reports that average salaries vary between ethnic groups in Class 1 professions. For instance, the average salary for white workers in this group is ￡49,528, compared to just ￡39,411 for Bangladeshi workers. There are also differences between the size of class pay gaps between ethnic groups.

For instance, those from white working-class backgrounds are paid ￡6,464 less than those from white professional-managerial origins, despite being in the same occupation.

So what can employers do about it? The report talks about the importance of data collection, outreach, providing accessible routes in, hiring for equity, offering diverse progression routes and creating an inclusive culture. One example given on hiring for equity is an employer who sent questions to all candidates in advance of interviews in order to counter any preparation that some candidates may have received from their parents.

Cultural and social capital

There are many other ways that class plays into who is advantaged or disadvantaged at work. One area I am interested in is the role of social and cultural capital and how this affects who feels included in a team and who doesn’t.

At the recent Festival of Education, Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, called for greater equity in schools to address class bias and said they should be working to remove the extra cultural and material barriers to learning experienced by many children inside and outside schools. He stated: “National directives encouraging teachers to promote cultural capital tend to prioritise middle-class pursuits – visits to museums and theatres. But we should also celebrate the countless examples of working-class achievements in society.”

This is all about acknowledging social and cultural capital and ensuring that people do not feel lesser or like they don’t belong simply because they come from different backgrounds. It applies equally to work as to school and on every different level - whether it is about race, sex, disability, neurodiversity, age, religion or class or a combination of these different factors.

In my work some of the best conversations I’ve had with senior leaders have been with working class white men. Why is that? Because they get the feeling of not belonging. They’ve lived being an outsider and they often want to do something about it for others. That can make them strong allies of diversity and inclusion.

In the new year, I’m looking to expand my focus on social and cultural capital and the kind of nuanced interactions that create in and out groups and act as a barrier to inclusion. It’s fascinating territory and begins early. Being more aware of how it works can only be a good thing for inclusion.

Read?the?Co-op?report here.

*Picture credit: Dustin Gaffke and Wikimedia Commons.