Thursday 30 July 2015

Do wealthy families create a 'glass floor' by hoarding opportunities for their children?



Do wealthy families create a 'glass floor' by hoarding opportunities for their children? 

This was the conclusion of the  latest report from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission which was produced by Dr Abigail Mcknight from the LSE. It was based on  data from the British Cohort study which analyses the socioeconomic position of 17,000 individuals born in 1970. The report found evidence that children from wealthier middle-class families were more likely to be protected from downward social mobility  due to the ability of their parents to secure greater educational opportunities and to use informal networking to improve labour market prospects.
What is the glass  floor?
Finding further research

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Should the BBC continue to exist?



The government launch of the green paper on the future of the BBC last week is posing fundamental questions about the future role and funding of the BBC corporation. The Guardian sets out the key issues
Background papers on the topic include
BBC Trust charter documents and policies.
BBC annual reports and policy documents. Includes reports on the economic and creative value of the BBC and the role of public service broadcasters.

Some initial reaction from stakeholders included:


Other campaigns include:
BECTU (entertainment union) Love it or lose it save the BBC petition.

Blogs covering the process.



Some bodies which have produced useful background papers on the role of the BBC include:

  • Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism which published a 2014 paper on the net impact on viewers if there were no BBC.It concluded that without a license fee investment in new UK content would be 25-50% lower and viewers would suffer a reduction in choice and content.

Going further
using subscription resources.
LSE Library media Subject guide has
Links to journal article databases