Low–High Educational Attainment and Socioeconomic Progression

Abstract

This chapter acquaints the reader with the Titô family.

Mr and Mrs Titô came from the Caribbean during the 1950s. They settled in Manchester, England, where their children were born and brought up.

Insights into the Titô family’s social world reveal hardship that lessens gradually across three generations. The first generation, who came from the Caribbean, had very little to start life in Britain. The second generation experiences relative stability, a fairly strong sense of self, and some attainment in further education. Their relatively better position reflects in successful sustainable employment, more defined occupational aspirations, and high expectations that are transmitted to the third generation, whose members achieve highly in education and socioeconomic domains. This is evinced by high levels of attainment in higher education, acquisition of high status employment, and experience of social mobility.