Unfulfilled promise of meritocracy : Meritocracy in relation to equality and education as well as how the educational system is an instance for social mobility

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between meritocracy and education respectively equality. And more, to investigate whether the educational system is an instance forsocial mobility. This literature overview is based upon 13 articles which lead the paper upon its conclusion, it shows that meritocracy is only compatible with equality of opportunity. In accordance with this, there are multiple problems within the discourse of opportunity, whereas opportunities to a great extent are ascriptived, and the just competition on social positions should be questioned. Furthermore, it examines whether the educational system is an instance for social mobility. The result shows that the educational system is an instance for social mobility, but there are multiple factors beyond education that are in play. Subsequently, the educational expansion is problematized, this leads to a phenomenon like social congestion on the labor market, where the pursuit of the proper education is not enough, which damages mobility. Lastly, in relation to job recruitment it is not rare that there is non-meritocratic (social ability, attractiveness etc.) demand from employers, which undermines the role of education in relation to social mobility. This literature study cannot claim to present the reader with a comprehensive picture of the studied topic and the empirics has not by far been exhausted.