I have always been interested in the idea of social mobility. Recovery from substance abuse and mental health entails the reconstruction of social relationships. It is a shift from social marginalization back into pro social structures of life. As such, recovery can be really understood as a shift in social class. I had wondered whether social mobility studies would cast light on the recovery processes. But I was surprised to find that social mobility within the pro social structures of life is almost non-existent. (Google the phrase "Does social mobility exist?")

I was then very interested in this recent report, "Social Mobility, the Class Pay Gap and Intergenerational Worklessness: New Insights from The Labour Force Survey," which examined 90.000 people in the UK. It found that UK professionals from working-class backgrounds are paid £6,800 less on average each year than those from more affluent families. The class pay gap was highest in finance at £13,713. The medical profession saw the next highest gap at £10,218, followed by information technology at £4,736. It also found that less than 6% of doctors came from working class backgrounds. Would we accept this level of discrimination in any other social group?

To read the full report click here.