Education and Social Mobility examines Government plans to improve upward mobility in England and considers the chances of success in the light of qualitative interviews with 88 school students. The 15- to 19-year-olds in two state secondary schools were invited to reflect on their lives, education and dreams of the future. Their responses offer fascinating insights into young people's aspirations, choices and decisions, and suggest that governments consistently underestimate the resistances to mobility that are embedded in social and occupational structures.

This original school-based research is combined with lively analysis of the concepts and issues entailed in understanding social mobility and change. It is essential reading for policy makers and everyone who is interested in the extent to which education can change and improve society. It presents discomfiting data and theoretical insights for academics and practitioners, and is an authoritative guide for undergraduate and post-graduate students following courses which deal with youth identities, education studies and social justice. The book raises fundamental doubts about current policy and proposes a constructive alternative for all our children.