A thriving society is created in large part by social mobility. It contributes significantly to the development of a strong economy in any country. For instance, Hong Kong, a special administrative region in China, once had an intensively growing GDP, which consequently resulted in increasing quality of life in the local community. However, following the times of financial crises and other unfortunate events, Hong Kong’s GDP decreased almost by half, which had an impact on social mobility. Due to low intergenerational social mobility, Hong Kong faced issues of inequality in such areas as education and employment.
First, it is necessary to review the issues in Hong Kong. In terms of academic mobility, the self-financed sub-degree sector has seen the most recent growth in post-secondary enrollment (LegCo, 2015). With a rising percentage of individuals working in lower-paying associate professional occupations and, to a lesser degree, service and sales positions, increased educational attainment has not, however, translated into better career opportunities (LegCo, 2015). In addition, a statistically significant association was found in 2008 between the socioeconomic condition of parents and their children, indicating a lack of intergenerational social mobility (LegCo, 2015). Therefore, younger generations face the challenges of having equal opportunities in terms of better employment and education, which could increase social mobility.
For the issues outlined above, three strategies can be offered, with the first strategy targeting the youngest generation. For children from underprivileged households, access to high-quality care and preschool programs must be improved. Affordable, high-quality daycare can help with intellectual skills in children and provide them have a good start in life (Heckman & Landersø, 2022). Enrollment in preschool can have a significant impact on future academic and learning performance. Improved educational results are evident, particularly for children with low-income families in various nations, such as Norway and France, when daycare or preschool programs have been expanded (OECD, 2018). In many nations, pre-primary education is available to all children as a constitutional right beginning at age three, and services are typically subsidized or free (OECD, 2018). Consequently, over 80% of children aged 3-5 are engaged in pre-primary or primary schools in the majority of nations, with little to no national difference (OECD, 2018). Therefore, in order to increase intergenerational social mobility, it is necessary to offer people opportunities at a young age.
Moreover, equal opportunities must be included not only in schools but in higher education as well. A variety of policies are needed to remove barriers to the underrepresentation of individuals from less privileged socioeconomic groups in postsecondary learning, particularly at highly selective or prominent colleges (Brown & James, 2020). As inequalities in admission frequently emerge from individuals from less privileged socioeconomic backgrounds lacking preparedness and self-belief, promotional policy initiatives in upper secondary education might be helpful (OECD, 2018). Some young people who lack finances and awareness decide to enroll in less rigorous post-secondary programs or attend less challenging colleges since they can get entry-level employment more quickly (OECD, 2018). However, as one can understand, such decisions will result in worse employment prospects. Thus, social mobility in postsecondary education creates a demand for policy reforms that encourage retention and graduation far after the first day of classes.
Finally, even talented students from underprivileged backgrounds can struggle to find decent employment owing to a lack of connections, official social norms, relevant work experience, or knowledge. One way to alleviate income disparities is to help underprivileged individuals make the transition from school to employment easier. More disadvantaged students should be given greater knowledge about the processes required to begin a career, particularly in the most competitive sectors, through improving career advising and connections between schools and companies (Marginson, 2018). In order to make up for the lack of parental assistance, mentoring and career guidance offered by various organizations might be helpful during the application and job-hunting processes (OECD, 2018). Additional obstacles include not having access to professional connections from parents, being unable to obtain experience through unpaid internships, or being unable to enter liberal occupations due to credit limitations. For instance, the Year Up program in the U.S. offers assistance to underprivileged high school graduates who have problems with employment by offering professional training, work experience, mentorship, job search coaching, and employment (OECD, 2018). Therefore, by incorporating similar programs, younger generations can have more support, confidence, and prospects.
Hence, Hong Kong had challenges with inequality in fields like education and employment due to the city’s low levels of intergenerational social mobility. Three approaches may be suggested for such problems, the first of which focuses on the younger generation. Access to high-quality care and preschool programs must be increased for children from disadvantaged families. A number of measures are also required to eliminate obstacles to the underrepresentation of people from less advantaged socioeconomic groups in postsecondary education, particularly at prestigious or highly selective institutions. Finally, assisting those who are less fortunate in making the transition from education to a job can help to reduce economic gaps.
References
Brown, P., & James, D. (2020). Educational expansion, poverty reduction and social mobility: Reframing the debate. International Journal of Educational Research, 100, 101537. Web.
Heckman, J., & Landersø, R. (2022). Lessons for Americans from Denmark about inequality and social mobility. Labour Economics, 77, 101999. Web.
LegCo. (2015). Social mobility in Hong Kong. Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Web.
Marginson, S. (2018). Higher education, economic inequality and social mobility: Implications for emerging East Asia. International Journal of Educational Development, 63, 4-11. Web.
OECD. (2018). A broken social elevator? How to promote social mobility. OECD. Web.