The British Journal of Sociology
Volume 53 No 4 December 2002
pages 559-574
Abstract
A paper by Breen and Goldthorpe recently claimed to have exposed 'fatal flaws' in my work on meritocracy in Britain. This paper responds to their criticisms. The results of their re-analysis of the NCDS data set are shown to be consistent with my earlier findings and arguments. Furthermore, re-running some of my earlier models using measures that they favour and a method designed to privilege their position, the results once again demonstrate that, while class origins have some effect on class destinations (in particular, for those born into the middle class), ability and effort exert a much greater effect. Based on these results, the paper identifies three core propositions about meritocracy in Britain on which all parties to this debate should now be able to agree.
Keywords: Social mobility, meritocracy, ability, social class, British society
Peter Saunders
Director of Social Research, Centre for Independent Studies (Sydney) Honorary Associate, Department of Sociology, Macquarie University Professor Emeritus, University of Sussex