Against meritocracy culture power and myths of mobility

Against meritocracy: culture, power and myths of mobility jo. littler. 1@city. ac. uk @littler_jo Tobias Mixer and Gloria Pritschett, Upward Mobility, 2012

Neoliberal meritocracy

‘Strivers’ vs ‘skivers’

David Cameron at the Conservative Party Conference 2013 • ‘It's that toxic culture of low expectations – that lack of ambition for every child – which has held this country back. ’ • ‘We're fighting against the smug, self-satisfied socialists …. the Labour party theorists that stand in the way of aspirational parents by excusing low expectations and blaming social disadvantage’ • ‘And we know who we're fighting for: for all those who work hard and want to get on’.

Problems with meritocracy 1. Individualised ‘ladder’ of social mobility 2. Essentialised conception of talent/ability 3. Extends hierarchies of social worth 4. Works as a myth to obscure inequality

Meritocracy’s etymology: from left-wing critique to right-wing weapon

Introduction: Ladders and snakes Part one: Genealogies Chapter 1: Meritocracy’s genealogies in social theory Chapter 2: ‘Rising up’: gender, ethnicity, class and the meritocratic deficit Chapter 3: The movement of meritocracy in political rhetoric Part two: Popular parables Chapter 4: Just like us? Normcore plutocrats and the popularisation of elitism Chapter 5: #Damonsplaining and the unbearable whiteness of ‘merit’ Chapter 6: Desperate success: Managing the mumpreneur Conclusion: Beyond neoliberal meritocracy