Book Chapter
Social mobility in developing countries

The book distils our multidisciplinary investigation into social mobility, with this concluding chapter weaving together the research strands into coherent policy suggestions. Three sets of motivations guided our research work: identifying knowledge gaps; innovations and improvements in research practice; using the findings to craft social mobility policy advice, particularly in developing country settings.

The concluding chapter synthesizes some of the key learnings in relation to these three guiding motivations. Investing in social mobility through policy investments ought to be a very important part of any future development agenda. A belief has prevailed that a country’s GNP must grow first before the problems of the poor can be addressed.

We suggest that this logic be turned on its head via countries investing in social mobility for their entire populations, not just those with access to education, healthcare, etc. Growth and social justice can be promoted by well-designed policy tools.