Via Sociological Images (by way of the Economic Mobility Project) is an interesting chart showing downward class mobility among blacks and whites. Each bar represents the percentage of children who end up in the bottom fifth of income earners by race and income of the parent:
We feel instinctively that societies with huge income gaps are somehow going wrong. Richard Wilkinson charts the hard data on economic inequality, and shows what gets worse when rich and poor are too far apart: real effects on health, lifespan, even such basic values as trust.
Is the sneaker ruling fashionista footwear choices? The sneakers of today are not your mum's keds. No. Far from it. They have been transformed to loafers, comfortable slip-ons and blingy sequined numbers - renewing and rejuvenating upbeat fashion choices of the young urban woman.