{"id":36,"date":"2025-08-07T20:10:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T20:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routledgelearning.com\/politicsuk\/?p=36"},"modified":"2025-10-10T10:59:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T10:59:12","slug":"chapter-7","status":"publish","type":"content","link":"https:\/\/routledgelearning.com\/politicsuk\/part-3-the-representative-process\/chapter-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\tHome\n<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 7<\/h1>\n\n\n

Social Mobility and Elites in the United Kingdom<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Chapter Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many kinds of elite in developed societies like the UK, each with their own systems of selection and advancement. Research into social mobility suggests the main pool out of which elites are chosen is the wealthy upper middle class. While state schooling has improved over the years, it is still the small (7%) private sector which dominates subsequent membership of the main social and occupational elites: the law, medicine, the military, public administration, the media, members of parliament. The \u2018super rich\u2019 provide the upper level of the wealth elite and clearly seek to influence politicians to govern in their interests.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Learning Objectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Identify different types of elite.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Explain something of social mobility in UK, drawing upon three studies from the past decade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To show how the key recruiting pool for most of the important elites has been the upper middle class.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Explore the provenance of our ruling elites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Quizzes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Test your knowledge with the Chapter 7 quizzes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Quiz<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n