Social Mobility Commission report cites research by UI project team
23.07.2020
Research by UI Co-Director Cristina Iannelli and Research Fellow Dr Adriana Duta has been cited in the latest Social Mobility Commission report, Moving out to move on, which looks at the links between internal migration, disadvantage and social mobility.
Moving out to move on is harder for disadvantaged groups
The report finds that moving to a new area to look for better opportunities is a lot harder for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Research by Duta and Iannelli cited in the report (on page 14-15) provides evidence on the spatial dimension of social class inequalities in graduates' labour market outcomes, an aspect which has been largely overlooked in the existing literature.
They found that smaller inequalities by parental social class exist in areas with more opportunities. However, they show that this pattern applies only to graduates who moved away from their place of origin and not to those who did not move. They suggest selective migration may be the main mechanism behind the equalisation of graduates’ occupational outcomes in areas with greater occupational opportunities, that is, areas with more opportunities attract the better-qualified graduates regardless of their social origin.
Improving social mobility
The previous annual report by the Social Mobility Commission also cited Iannelli's research (on page 41) which highlights that the school curriculum plays a role in social mobility:
Studying core subjects such as languages, English, mathematics and science is important for the long-term occupational opportunities of individuals.
Cristina Iannelli is Professor of Education and Social Stratification in the Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh. She is also the Research Lead in the Institute for Education, Community & Society in the same School. Cristina's main research interests are social inequalities in education; social mobility; youth transitions; cross-country comparative analysis; and advanced quantitative research methods.
Adriana Duta is Lecturer in Quantitative Methods in the Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh. Adriana has strong research interests in social stratification/social inequalities in education, the labour market and family behaviour; and how individual and contextual factors interact in shaping people’s life chances across their life course.
Research by UI Co-Director Cristina Iannelli and Research Fellow Dr Adriana Duta has been cited in the latest Social Mobility Commission report, Moving out to move on, which looks at the links between internal migration, disadvantage and social mobility.
Moving out to move on: understanding the link between internal migration, disadvantage and social mobility
Moving out to move on is harder for disadvantaged groups
The report finds that moving to a new area to look for better opportunities is a lot harder for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Research by Duta and Iannelli cited in the report (on page 14-15) provides evidence on the spatial dimension of social class inequalities in graduates' labour market outcomes, an aspect which has been largely overlooked in the existing literature.
Social Class Inequalities in Graduates’ Labour Market Outcomes: The Role of Spatial Job Opportunities (Open Access paper)
They found that smaller inequalities by parental social class exist in areas with more opportunities. However, they show that this pattern applies only to graduates who moved away from their place of origin and not to those who did not move. They suggest selective migration may be the main mechanism behind the equalisation of graduates’ occupational outcomes in areas with greater occupational opportunities, that is, areas with more opportunities attract the better-qualified graduates regardless of their social origin.
Improving social mobility
The previous annual report by the Social Mobility Commission also cited Iannelli's research (on page 41) which highlights that the school curriculum plays a role in social mobility:
Studying core subjects such as languages, English, mathematics and science is important for the long-term occupational opportunities of individuals.
State of the Nation 2018-19: Social Mobility in Great Britain
The role of the school curriculum in social mobility (Open Access paper)
About Cristina Iannelli and Adriana Duta
Cristina Iannelli is Professor of Education and Social Stratification in the Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh. She is also the Research Lead in the Institute for Education, Community & Society in the same School. Cristina's main research interests are social inequalities in education; social mobility; youth transitions; cross-country comparative analysis; and advanced quantitative research methods.
Professor Cristina Iannelli
Adriana Duta is Lecturer in Quantitative Methods in the Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh. Adriana has strong research interests in social stratification/social inequalities in education, the labour market and family behaviour; and how individual and contextual factors interact in shaping people’s life chances across their life course.
Dr Adriana Duta