What do you do when your country goes on without you? On today’s episode, we take a look at the concept of social mobility, or moving up the socio-economic ladder. Politicians, particularly in the most recent election cycle, like to talk about the American dream – the idea that if you keep your head down and work hard, you can be lifted out of poverty, or into the upper echelons of the so-called middle class. That sort of rhetoric is common here in Canada too. And, as we saw through the course of the US election, culminating in Donald Trump’s electoral win, when voters start seeing that path blocked they start looking for a better map. Its prominent role in Trump’s ascent got us wondering about social mobility more broadly. What is it? Why is it so important to modern society? And is there anything that can be done to actually influence it?

Music in this episode: "Steppin" by Wake