My research:
Exploration into social mobility
How does socio-economic status and cultural capital affect an individuals perception on social mobility?
Additionally, how can creative practices offer an insight into these lived experiences?
Project Overview: Social Mobility and Identity
This project explores how socioeconomic status and cultural capital shape individuals’ perceptions of social mobility and, in turn, their sense of identity. To explore this, 12 participants who self-identified as coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds were interviewed in depth. The interviews focused on their upbringing, perceptions of social mobility, and their feelings about access to opportunities in education and the workplace.
To further explore these themes, participants took part in poetry workshops, where they used creative expression to reflect on social mobility and its impact on their lives. Poetry was chosen as a research method to gain deeper insights into these lived experiences. It offered a creative and reflective approach that allowed participants to express their thoughts and emotions in a personal, non-linear way. This method not only encouraged participants to shape their own narratives but also highlighted the emotional complexities of social mobility, providing a more nuanced understanding of the pressures and resilience involved in rising through social strata.
The Poems
The poem prompts used in the project were created by poet Joseph Fasano, adding a unique, reflective layer to the participants’ expressions. Prompts were used to allow for standardisation but also gave participants creative freedom.
Names on the poems have been redacted to protect anonymity.
A Class ceiling is...
Participants were asked to write a poem starting with the phrase “A Class Ceiling is.“
In the interviews, class ceiling emerged as a powerful metaphor, drawn from the book The Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to be Privileged, by Daniel Laurison and Sam Friedman, highlighting the invisible barriers that limit opportunities and advancement for individuals from working-class backgrounds.
25%
of the earnings gap between working-class and privileged-origin professionals is attributed to differences in ‘fitting in’ with workplace cultures, such as accents, mannerisms, and shared cultural references.
70%
of professionals in the creative industries come from upper-middle-class families, highlighting the dominance of individuals from privileged backgrounds in this sector.
Source: Friedman, S. and Laurison, D. (2019). Class Ceiling: Why it pays to be privileged. Bristol: Policy Press.
My Name Is
The “My Name” poem prompt invites participants to explore and express their current feelings about their positionality, identity, and the intersection of their class background with their aspirations and sense of self.
I am done
The “Change” poem prompt is for participants to reflect on the ways they no longer want to be held back, expressing their desires to break free from limitations and envision a future where they can overcome barriers and embrace new opportunities.
Interestingly, two participants used the imagery of being a bird in their poems. This symbolism further highlights a yearning for freedom and the aspiration to rise above the constraints they face.
Found poetry
Found poetry is the literary form of a collage, created by assembling words or texts from other sources into a new poetic piece. I made found poetry using printed interview transcripts, selecting words and lines to create pieces with more nuanced meanings and added depth.
our Class Manifestto
Using the found poetry technique, a class manifesto was created that encapsulates participants’ feelings on class based on their words. I chose to create a manifesto because it allows for a collective expression of their experiences and aspirations, giving voice to their perspectives on class in a powerful and unified way.
By combining their individual reflections, the manifesto serves as both a personal and collective statement, highlighting the common threads in their stories
Conclusion
In conclusion, this project offers a powerful, creative exploration of class, social mobility, and the emotional complexities of navigating different social strata. Drawing on my own lived experience of growing up in a lower socioeconomic environment, my personal challenges inspired the project, the interview questions, and the subsequent research paper and anthology/zine that followed. Through the voices of participants, captured in both poetry and interviews, we gain insight into the real and often overlooked challenges of growing up in such environments. The work is a fusion of academic research and creative expression, reflecting both the emotional and intellectual dimensions of class-based struggles.
By reflecting on their experiences, struggles, and aspirations, this project invites a deeper understanding of the barriers to upward mobility and the resilience required to overcome them.
Ultimately, it serves as both a personal and collective expression of the desire for freedom, growth, and change in the face of societal constraints.
For a full PDF copy of the anthology/research paper, please reach out to me through my contact page.