Education, Occupation and Social Origin is a must-read book for anyone even faintly interested in social inequality. Comparing across many cohorts in 14 nations, the disheartening conclusion that here emerges is the lack of any genuine equalization of life chances. Advantage breeds advantage and, alas, educational expansion has not proven to be the great social leveler. This volume delivers the most up-to-date evidence, and it does it with scientific rigor and bravura. From the first to the last page this is world-class scholarship that will define our research agenda for many years to come.' - Gosta Esping-Andersen, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain Questioning the assumption that education is the 'great social equalizer', this book takes a comparative approach to the Social Origin-Education-Destination triangle by examining advantage in 14 different countries, including case studies from Europe, Israel, the USA, Russia and Japan. Contributions from leading experts examine the relation between family background, education and occupational achievement over time and across educational levels, focussing on the relationship between individuals' social origins and their income and occupational outcomes. Providing new theoretical insights, this book eloquently analyses a variety of barriers to social mobility. Using concepts of compensatory and boosting advantage to explain the intergenerational transmission of social inequality, it refutes the notion of contemporary societies as education-based and meritocratic, showing that in most of the countries studied there is no sign of decreasing intergenerational association, despite the expansion of education. With its multitude of pertinent case studies, Education, Occupation and Social Origin will be of interest to academics and students of social policy as well as those interested in social inequalities and their evolution over time. It will also be a useful reference for governmental policy makers in the wake of the current economic crisis. Contributors: S. Arita, G. Ballarino, E. Bar Haim, C. Barone, F. Bernardi, A. Bessudnov, E. Bihagen, C. Blank, M. Bouchet-Valat, M. Gratz, J. Harkoenen, T. Keller, F. Lagana, A. Mastekaasa, N. Panichella, C. Peugny, R. Pollack, P. Robert, Y. Sato, Y. Shavit, J. Tolsma, F. Torche, L.-A. Vallet, L. Vandecasteele, M.H.J. Wolbers

Globalization, argue the contributors to this book, has remarkably accelerated social and economic change in modern societies. One such change is manifested in the world of work and careers. This book explores whether the forces of globalization affect the erosion of standard career patterns of mid-career men in twelve OECD countries. Overwhelming evidence against the 'individualization of inequality' thesis is provided - it is argued that equality remains largely stratified by factors such as occupational class and educational level, and in some countries has even grown over time.The contributors illustrate that globalization appears to have influenced the rise of 'patchwork' careers in countries where workers have been increasingly less protected by institutional configurations. These countries include Denmark, Mexico, The Netherlands, the UK and the US, as well as post-socialistic countries such as Hungary, Estonia and the Czech Republic. Interestingly, there is no evidence that men's careers have become more erratic in Italy, Spain, Sweden or Germany. Nation-specific institutions, such as welfare regimes, education and training systems and employment relations remain key factors impacting on job mobility patterns. Using empirical evidence to demonstrate how different policy approaches impact on the employment careers of individuals, this book will be invaluable to academics, students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers seeking to understand the effects of international social change on national contexts.