People Like Us: What It Takes To Make It In Modern Britain [Book Review]

In the UK there’s a word that gets ignored a lot when it comes to Diversity and Inclusion – that word is class

Find out about a book that discusses class and social mobility; two closely related concepts that are talked and also not talked about in the UK

Here are some key messages from this episode:

  • Two types of Social Mobility you need to understand
  • The relationship between Social Mobility and Social Capital
  • The Models of Social Mobility that you didn’t realise you knew and much more

Play the episode for more.

Here are some key takeaways from this episode:

Social Mobility is difficult but possible

“A premise of the book is that the author is stating his experiences to inform and inspire others. It’s intended as a case study to say it’s not easy but it’s possible”

Social Mobility takes Social Capital and Cultural Capital

“It could be argued that social mobility is a journey of acquiring social capital and cultural capital; this book is how and why you should accumulate social capital and cultural capital to become socially mobile”

Social Mobility takes Confidence and Competence

“Enjoyable, entertaining and also frustrating ; it describes confidence as a quality that can be learned and developed but also it’s not always justified”

Here are some resources so you can go deeper: 

Letter from Dame Martina Milburn to the Prime Minister

Alan Milburn on quitting social mobility commission

People Like Us: What it Takes to Make it in Modern

Check out these related episodes of the show.

Social Identity [Book Review]

Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey:

The Elements of Inclusion #4

Leaders must collaborate innovatively to leverage cultural expertise and drive business performance.

  • Why inclusive outcomes are driven by innovation
  • How developing a business case for diversity and inclusion specific to your organisation is a competitive advantage
  • Why novelty is at the heart of your inclusion journey

The Elements of Inclusion #3

Leaders must establish systems to ensure that everyone shares the same advantages and benefits. These processes will create incentives for inclusive behaviours.

  • How to augment your team with the tools and insights they need to prevent structural disadvantage
  • Why reinforcing generative norms ensures everyone belongs in the organisation
  • How inclusive representations can be embedded to promote an inclusive culture

The Elements of Inclusion #2

Leaders must redefine career development relationships to support inclusive performance.
  • Why traditional mentor relationships must be revised for an inclusive workplace
  • How leaders must embrace networks of developmental relationships for individual growth
  • Why established workplace norms must evolve for inclusion in the modern workplace

The Elements of Inclusion #1

Leaders must properly socialise people and socialise inclusive ideas by providing an environment for the cultural learning needed for an active role in an inclusive organisation

  • How your socialisation processes must evolve to encourage the sustainable cultivation of inclusive competencies
  • Why Leaders must consistently negotiate the line between organisational commitment and personal authenticity to promote performance
  • How developing intersectional self awareness can help leaders to leverage individual employee experiences