Fiona Devine is making a difference
10 Apr 2014
I am highlighting social differences and inequalities through my research
As a Professor of Sociology at The University of Manchester I describe how class can be understood in terms of the possession (or otherwise) of economic, cultural and social capital. Parents can mobilise their capitals, for example, to ensure their children’s educational and occupational success.
Families are an important vehicle for the transmission of advantage and disadvantage from one generation to the next. It is important these processes are understood in the development of successful policy interventions. I have always been motivated by a desire to uncover the marked inequalities that exist in the life chances between people of different social groups. I have sought to describe and explain how advantages and disadvantages are reproduced. My research helps to highlight how individuals are shaped and influenced by their family, educational and working experiences.
I recently collaborated with the BBC to produce their Great British Class Survey which identified a precariat whose everyday lives are characterised by low levels of pay and job security. By uncovering patterns of inequality, my research is able to inform and influence public debate and policies about the different ways we might address social disadvantages.
I have always been motivated by a desire to uncover the marked inequalities that exist in the life chances between people of different social groups. My research helps to highlight how individuals are shaped and influenced by their family, educational, cultural and working experiences.
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