The Will Smith Story: Social Mobility

[Greed and Death]

For early 80's rap he was damn good.
Compare him to his contemporary rivals like the fatboys I guarantee you pick will smith.

Yes

His modern raps are really just about him an occasional music video to highlight one of his movies. He hasn't kept up with modern rapping trends at all.

[State of Turelisa]

I like him for reacting with a slap to the impertinent kisses he got from Vitalii Sediuk, a prankster who has a disturbing habit of sexually harassing male celebrities.

[The Free Joy State]

I like Will Smith well enough, but -- like others -- I'm honestly at a loss at how you picked him as an example of social mobility. A better example would have seemed -- at least to me (if you want to stick to rappers) -- someone like Ice-T.

I mean, yes, Will Smith's experience shows that someone with professional parents, growing up in a nice neighbourhood, can succeed in life. It says nothing about social mobility.

And to answer the question on upward mobility: upward mobility will always be difficult as growing up in poverty makes it substantially harder to escape poverty in adulthood (this is more true the longer the time spent in poverty):

According to the study, around five percent of adults who never experienced poverty as children were poor at ages 20 and 25. If they were poor anywhere from one to seven years as a kid, that number went up to approximately 13 percent. For those who spent eight to 14 years in poverty as children, 46 percent were poor at age 20, and 40 percent were poor at age 25.

Growing up in poverty also negatively impacts a child's health and education (it's in the link), which makes escaping poverty harder.

[Sundiata]

Yet he still won't admit that he and Jada have an open marriage...

With respect to social mobility, married couples tend to fare better economically.

[Infected Mushroom]

I also saw the Pursuit of Happyness.

that's what I was thinking too

[The Huskar Social Union]

Will Smith is a decent actor.

[Rojava Free State]

I like Will Smith well enough, but -- like others -- I'm honestly at a loss at how you picked him as an example of social mobility. A better example would have seemed -- at least to me (if you want to stick to rappers) -- someone like Ice-T.

I mean, yes, Will Smith's experience shows that someone with professional parents, growing up in a nice neighbourhood, can succeed in life. It says nothing about social mobility.

And to answer the question on upward mobility: upward mobility will always be difficult as growing up in poverty makes it substantially harder to escape poverty in adulthood (this is more true the longer the time spent in poverty):

According to the study, around five percent of adults who never experienced poverty as children were poor at ages 20 and 25. If they were poor anywhere from one to seven years as a kid, that number went up to approximately 13 percent. For those who spent eight to 14 years in poverty as children, 46 percent were poor at age 20, and 40 percent were poor at age 25.

Growing up in poverty also negatively impacts a child's health and education (it's in the link), which makes escaping poverty harder.

Yeah, him or 50 cent.

[Rojava Free State]

The Gallagher Brothers of the band Oasis are also a good example of social mobility.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

The Gallagher Brothers of the band Oasis are also a good example of social mobility.

If only that arse Liam could forgive his talented brother for making him rich and famous beyond his wildest dreams.

[Rojava Free State]

The Gallagher Brothers of the band Oasis are also a good example of social mobility.

If only that arse Liam could forgive his talented brother for making him rich and famous beyond his wildest dreams.

Hopefully 2020 ends with Oasis regrouping. Would be a good end to a shit year.

[Shanghai industrial complex]

I was thought you were talking about another Will Smith ... Ok,It's the one who's my favorite.I insist that the key of social mobility is good public education.Let poor children have the ability to receive the same level of education like the rich one and go to college.

[Rojava Free State]

If you think about it, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air is just an alternate universe version of Will Smith, who got sent to live with his uncle and went from the dark side of town to a mansion in a nice part of California.

Now that's a great story of social mobility.

[The Two Jerseys]

If you think about it, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air is just an alternate universe version of Will Smith, who got sent to live with his uncle and went from the dark side of town to a mansion in a nice part of California.

Now that's a great story of social mobility.

Wait, wouldn't Bizarro Will Smith go from a middle class Philly neighborhood to living with his aunt and uncle in...I don't know, Compton?

[Rojava Free State]

If you think about it, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air is just an alternate universe version of Will Smith, who got sent to live with his uncle and went from the dark side of town to a mansion in a nice part of California.

Now that's a great story of social mobility.

Wait, wouldn't Bizarro Will Smith go from a middle class Philly neighborhood to living with his aunt and uncle in...I don't know, Compton?

*Fifth Ward, Houston

[Major-Tom]

Tales of social mobility can still exist in societies with deep inequality that stems both from notions of class and race, tales of social mobility will be more prevalent here if we work to mitigate those inequalities.

[Nouveau Yathrib]

Tales of social mobility can still exist in societies with deep inequality that stems both from notions of class and race, tales of social mobility will be more prevalent here if we work to mitigate those inequalities.

Going from middle class to a highly successful actor who's won 4 Grammys is still upward social mobility.

[Farnhamia]

Will Smith didn't have a hard upbringing. His parents had middle-class jobs and he grew up in a middle-class neighborhood of Philadelphia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith#Early_life

Smith was born on September 25, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Caroline (née Bright), a Philadelphia school board administrator, and Willard Carroll Smith Sr.,[11][12] a U.S. Air Force veteran[13] and refrigeration engineer. He grew up in West Philadelphia's Wynnefield neighborhood,[14] and was raised Baptist.[15] He has an elder sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins Harry and Ellen.[14] Smith attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia.[16] His parents separated when he was 13,[17] but did not actually divorce until around 2000.[18]

Smith attended Overbrook High School.[16] While it has been widely reported that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he never applied to college because he "wanted to rap."[19] Smith says he was admitted to a "pre-engineering [summer] program" at MIT for high school students, but he did not attend.[18][20][21] According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."[22]

OMG! That's amazing!

[Greed and Death]

Will Smith didn't have a hard upbringing. His parents had middle-class jobs and he grew up in a middle-class neighborhood of Philadelphia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith#Early_life

OMG! That's amazing!

The median school board administrator made 98,000 a year and Refrigeration engineer at 85,000. I think upper middle class is a better definition.

[Nouveau Yathrib]

OMG! That's amazing!

The median school board administrator made 98,000 a year and Refrigeration engineer at 85,000. I think upper middle class is a better definition.

In 2020 dollars, or 1970 dollars? Ofc his family was financially well-off either way.

[Farnhamia]

The median school board administrator made 98,000 a year and Refrigeration engineer at 85,000. I think upper middle class is a better definition.

In 2020 dollars, or 1970 dollars? Ofc his family was financially well-off either way.

Yes, but he came from a broken home, remember. He was a wee lad of 32 when his parents divorced.

[Greed and Death]

The median school board administrator made 98,000 a year and Refrigeration engineer at 85,000. I think upper middle class is a better definition.

In 2020 dollars, or 1970 dollars? Ofc his family was financially well-off either way.

2020 salaries I general presume government salaries have grown more quickly while private sector grew more slowly.

[Sundiata]

In 2020 dollars, or 1970 dollars? Ofc his family was financially well-off either way.

Yes, but he came from a broken home, remember. He was a wee lad of 32 when his parents divorced.

We all experience our fair share of entanglements.

[Bombadil]

Do you want upward social mobility?

If yes:

1. Are you highly entertaining
2. Are you an excellent athlete

If not, go back to Go, do not collect $200.

[Greed and Death]

Do you want upward social mobility?

If yes:

1. Are you highly entertaining
2. Are you an excellent athlete

If not, go back to Go, do not collect $200.

Wrong.

It is go to jail do not collect 200 dollars. We have spent a lot of money creating the school to prison pipeline.

[Bombadil]

Do you want upward social mobility?

If yes:

1. Are you highly entertaining
2. Are you an excellent athlete

If not, go back to Go, do not collect $200.

Wrong.

It is go to jail do not collect 200 dollars. We have spent a lot of money creating the school to prison pipeline.

That's a fair point actually.