Why even a PhD isn’t enough to erase the effects of class, with Anna Stansbury
Oct 7, 2024
auto_awesome
Anna Stansbury, an assistant professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management, explores class-based inequalities in the US. She emphasizes how family backgrounds can hinder career progression, regardless of educational achievements like a PhD. The discussion delves into how class disparities persist in academia and the stark differences between private and public sector opportunities. Stansbury advocates for more inclusive practices that consider socioeconomic factors, aiming to illuminate the often-invisible class dynamics affecting professional success.
Class background significantly impacts career success and opportunities for PhD holders, regardless of race or gender.
Systemic barriers persist in both academia and industry, necessitating policy changes to address class inequalities and promote inclusivity.
Deep dives
Understanding the Class Ceiling
Class ceiling refers to the barriers that individuals face based on their family background, regardless of their qualifications, such as having a PhD. The podcast highlights that even academically accomplished individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often struggle in their careers compared to their peers from more privileged families. The speaker discusses how class background, which encompasses family income, education, and cultural capital, plays a significant role in determining one's opportunities and success later in life. This discussion reveals that class should be regarded as a critical factor influencing career trajectory, similar to racial and gender issues that have more publicly received attention.
Research Methodology Insights
The research employs data from the National Science Foundation, focusing on individuals who earned PhDs in the U.S. The study compares career outcomes strictly among graduates from the same programs to isolate the effects of class background on job placement and success. The results show that those from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to secure tenured positions at prestigious academic institutions, even when controlling for factors like field of study and educational pedigree. This nuanced approach effectively demonstrates that class influences post-PhD employment outcomes among seemingly equal candidates.
Class Gap in Private Sector Careers
In addition to examining academic trajectories, the research also investigates outcomes for PhD holders who transition into the private sector. Findings indicate a widening class gap in terms of salary and the likelihood of holding managerial roles as careers progress. Interestingly, while initial employment outcomes are comparable across class backgrounds, the disparity in success grows over time, suggesting systemic barriers persist within industry environments as well. These insights reinforce the notion that class-based inequalities extend beyond academia, deeply affecting opportunities in various professional domains.
Addressing Class Inequality
The conversation explores potential policy implications and solutions to bridge class gaps, emphasizing the need to incorporate social class into diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Suggested measures include tracking applicant backgrounds, establishing mentorship programs for individuals from lower socioeconomic classes, and integrating class as a crucial factor in hiring processes. While there are some examples of proactive measures in the UK, the U.S. still has a long way to go in effectively addressing class discrepancies within organizations. This discussion highlights the importance of recognizing class as a critical determinant of success and advocating for systemic changes in academic and corporate settings.
Race and gender have dominated headlines about economic outcomes in the past decades, but class … not so much. Class is often invisible, hard to describe and awkward to talk about. Anna Stansbury, an assistant professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, sought to shed light on class in the US in a recent paper, co-written with Kyra Rodriguez. They found that independently of race or gender, people’s family circumstances can hold them back. And that is even after they have done enough work to get a “Dr” in front of their name. Today on the show, Soumaya and Anna discuss the problem and how to fix it.
Soumaya Keynes writes a column each week for the Financial Times. You can find it here