Social mobility
Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals, families, or groups through a system of social hierarchy or stratification. A change in position, such as by occupation, without social class change, might be called horizontal mobility, whereas a change in social class is termed vertical mobility, up or down.
In terms of construction the CIOB produced a paper in 2016 entitled 'Social Mobility and Constriction; Building routes to opportunity' in which it referred to the definition set by the Government’s Cabinet Office, Performance and Innovation Unit, in their paper Social Mobility: A Discussion Paper, April 2001, produced during a resurgent interest in social mobility within government, being:
“the movement, or opportunities for movement, between different social groups, and the advantages and disadvantages that go with this in terms of income, security of employment, opportunities for advancement etc.”
CIOB conclude that as with many sociological issues, it gets more complicated the more consideration it receives. This starts with the fact that social mobility, as a term, covers a number of related but separate trends. Furthermore, measuring social mobility can be fraught and open to a range of interpretations.
The theme was later built upon at Government level by the Liberal Democrats in 2011 with their paper, 'Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility' published in April 2011. Where Social Mobilty was more directly connected to Fairness;
"In a fair society what counts is not the school you went to or the jobs your parents did, but your ability and your ambition. In other words, fairness is about social mobility – the degree to which the patterns of advantage and disadvantage in one generation are passed onto the next. An unfair society is one in which the circumstances of a person’s birth determine the life they go on to lead."
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- A Blueprint for Change report.
- Access and inclusion in the built environment: policy and guidance.
- APM in conversation with Justine Greening.
- Changing lifestyles in the built environment.
- Collaboration for Change, The Edge Commission Report on the Future of Professionalism.
- Equal opportunities policy.
- Human resource management in construction.
- Social mobility and construction: Building routes to opportunity
Featured articles and news
The continued ISG fall out, where to go?
Support for ISG contractors, companies and employees.
New HES national centre for traditional building retrofit
Announced as HES publishes survey results which reveal strong support for retrofit.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Expected to become one of the largest activities in the global construction industry.
The ECA industry focus video channel
Keeping update with the industry session by session.
Over 25 recorded informations sessions freely available.
AT Awards 2024 ceremony East London October 25th.
Revisiting the AT community at the 2023 awards evening.
The Community Housing Fund and built affordable homes
CLTN reviews the impact of the Fund and calls for extension.
The grading system of the Regulator for Social Housing
A background, an explanation and ten recent enforcements.
Construction, repair and maintenance. Book review.
Putting new life into a city with a 1900 year history.
BSRIA Briefing 2024: Sustainable Futures speakers
Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living 22 Nov.
Wall of support for post-Grenfell regulation of electricians
Call for a shake-up of the construction industry highlighted on radio.
Digital sustainability through future AEC tools
Bringing together industry and academia to meet challenges.
Skills gap for net zero highlighted to Minister for Industry
ECA convenes roundtable discussion at Portcullis House.
Evidencing Net Zero with the new UK buildings standard
Pilot version with detailed excel proforma out now!
Scottish Building Safety Levy, in consultation
From direct remediation and the RPDT, to the costs and alternatives.
Waves of warmer homes grants for the rental sector
Boosting energy efficiency standards for all rented homes.
A refocus of the National Planning Policy Framework
Key terms described in brief, as the consultation closes the evening of the 24th.
Fortified farmhouses of the unruly 16th-and 17th-century borders.