MPhil/PhD in Sociology at the London School of Economics

This study readapts the established sociological proposition of social capital
under a transnational lens to investigate the current dynamics of labour market
inequalities as exacerbated by globalisation. This study would be centred
around the conceptualisation of 'transnational social capital' (Levy et al., 2013),
which represents an innovative theoretical and empirical tool uniquely suited to
study the hardly accessible population of global elites. The study would first
examine the beneficial effects of transnational social capital on career
performance using qualitative social research methods such as in-depth semistructured
interviews. In particular, the study would analyse to what extent
transnational social ties shape inequalities in social capital in the management
consulting industry.
Secondly, the project would explore the social network dynamics of the highly
privileged social group of transnational managerial elites. It would examine the
explanatory factors related to the formation of transnational networks of social
ties for professionals in traditional elite industries such as consultancy and
finance. To do so, I propose to adopt a survey methodology approach, together
with a name-generator technique, to collect ego-network data. Finally, I would
use a social network analysis approach to recreate with data visualisation
techniques the contact networks of respondents and to predict their formation
with regression-based models.
If transnational social capital represents an advantage for global elites, this
study would be key in terms of policy intervention for the following reason. As
economic inequalities stressed by globalisation are coming into focus (see:
Piketty, 2013), it is urgent to understand the dynamics that enable a small
percentage of the population to take full advantage of a highly globalised
labour market. Since the transnational dynamics of social capital may enable
global elites to secure some of the most remunerated jobs, it is the
responsibility of governments to intervene and make these professional fields
more inclusive.