New pub­lic­a­tion: Co-con­struct­ing the il­lu­sion of pro­gres­sion: How bound­ary blur­ring and af­firm­ing re­pro­duce so­cial ex­clu­sion in elite pro­fes­sions

Social exclusion is a persistent problem in elite professions. While scholarship has emphasized structural and cultural barriers, less is known about relational practices and mechanisms through which social exclusion is sustained. Drawing on interviews with 84 lawyers, paralegals, and managers in elite UK law firms, we develop a conceptual model of how the blurring and affirming of social and symbolic boundaries between higher-status and lowerstatus groups reproduces social exclusion.