Getting Ahead: Economic and Social Mobility in America (Urban Institute Press)
by By Sawhill, Isabel V. and McMurrer, Daniel P.
Category: Social Science , Sociology , General

Adapted in part from the "Opportunity in America" series of policy briefs, this volume focuses on social and economic mobility in the United States. Class or family background has a strong effect on individual success, the authors find. They examine the possible reasons for this relationship; how it has changed over the past century; and the role of the economy, the welfare system, and education in opening up opportunities for the less fortunate.