The Meritocracy Trap

Regular price RM49.37 MYR
Unit price
per

Meritocracy's dangers unravelled

The Meritocracy Trap is a thought-provoking wake-up call that challenges the notion of meritocracy as a virtuous system and discusses its role in perpetuating economic inequality and social division. This book is a must-read for those seeking to understand the impact of meritocracy on society and is sure to provoke a fascinating debate on the meaning of true equality and fairness.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Meritocracy Trap

Regular price RM49.37 MYR
Unit price
per
ISBN: 9780141984742
Authors: Daniel Markovits
Publisher: Penguin
Date of Publication: 2020-08-27
Format: Paperback
Goodreads rating: 3.83
(rated by 1899 readers)

Description

Even in the midst of runaway economic inequality and dangerous social division, it remains an axiom of modern life that meritocracy reigns supreme and promises to open opportunity to all. The idea that reward should follow ability and effort is so entrenched in our psyche that, even as society divides itself at almost every turn, all sides can be heard repeating meritocratic notions. Meritocracy cuts to the heart of who we think we are.But what if, both up and down the social ladder, meritocracy is a sham? Today, meritocracy has become exactly what it was conceived to resist: a mechanism for the concentration and dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations. Upward mobility has become a fantasy, and the embattled middle classes are now more likely to sink into the working poor than to rise into the professional elite. At the same time, meritocracy now ensnares even those who manage to claw their way to the top, requiring rich adults to work with crushing intensity, exploiting their expensive educations in order to extract a return. All this is not the result of deviations or retreats from meritocracy but rather stems directly from meritocracy's successes.This is the radical argument that The Meritocracy Trap prosecutes with rare force, comprehensive research, and devastating persuasion. Daniel Markovits, a law professor trained in philosophy and economics, is better placed than most to puncture one of the dominant ideas of our age. Having spent his life at elite universities, he knows from the inside the corrosive system we are trapped within, as well as how we can take the first steps towards a world that might afford us both prosperity and dignity.
Condition guide
 

Similar Reads

Meritocracy's dangers unravelled

The Meritocracy Trap is a thought-provoking wake-up call that challenges the notion of meritocracy as a virtuous system and discusses its role in perpetuating economic inequality and social division. This book is a must-read for those seeking to understand the impact of meritocracy on society and is sure to provoke a fascinating debate on the meaning of true equality and fairness.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.