Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
ascenceur social
English translation:
social ladder
French term
ascenceur social
L'éducation, un ascenseur social ?
| 4 +4 | social ladder |
cc in nyc
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| 4 +3 | social ladder |
Emiliano Pantoja
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| 4 | social escalator |
rkillings
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| 3 | upward social mobility/ social upward mobility/ social elevator |
pooja_chic
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Non-PRO (2): SJLD, Rob Grayson
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Proposed translations
social ladder
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Note added at 12 mins (2012-01-20 18:06:54 GMT)
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Here are some references:
Main Entry: social ladder
Part of Speech: n
Definition: the hierarchical structure of a society; also called [ social scale ]
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social ladder
"Social Ladder Forms Early in Life"
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/climbing-social-la...
"The Social Ladder"
http://www.feverbee.com/2011/01/the-social-ladder.html
"Down the Tube? Up the Social Ladder"
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/11/tube-...
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-20 19:16:05 GMT)
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Perhaps, for l'ascenseur social français en panne": "down the French social ladder" ;-)
| agree |
NancyLynn
: came to me too
3 mins
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Thank you.
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| agree |
Laurel Clausen
13 mins
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Thank you.
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| agree |
writeaway
: as confirmed by (and found in) Fr-En dictionaries
7 hrs
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Thank you.
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Just Opera
: standard translation. the 'ascenseur' = lift (figuratively) is 'en panne' = out of service (which relates to 'déclassement')
17 hrs
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Thank you.
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Spain
Lawyer and Translator
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: French to Spanish, English to Spanish, Italian to Spanish, and 4 more.
social ladder
| agree |
Laurel Clausen
11 mins
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Thanks
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| agree |
piazza d
12 mins
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Thanks
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chaplin
: that is right a ladder is slower than a lift like British trains!!
32 mins
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Thanks
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Translation is depth of the passion
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, English to French, Portuguese to English
upward social mobility/ social upward mobility/ social elevator
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wbs/research/irru/ywesrc/s...
In this context, another noteworthy concept has been used by authors such as Louis
Chauvel (2000) or Camille Peugny (2009): ‘déclassement’ reflect the idea of being
‘downgraded’. The concept encapsulates an inter-generational dimension in that with equal or
better qualifications than their parents, young people are not accessing equal employment
conditions. The aspirations that were formed around there being some upward social mobility
(the famous social elevator or “ascenseur social”) are not being fulfilled. This of course
brings in its wake strong feelings of social injustice.
http://econpapers.repec.org/article/caireofsp/reof_5f096_5f0...
http://www.kbs-frb.be/publication.aspx?id=247140&LangType=10...
http://www.historianhouse.us/FlimFiction/cohen_affaire
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/business/worldbusiness/26i...
http://www.jobmob-and-famlives.eu/papers/JFW_06-01_Widmer_Sc...
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cc in nyc
: But in the context of "déclassement," upward motion won't do; the social ladder leads down as well as up
12 hrs
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social escalator
The ~3k Ghits for "social escalator" are probably more germane to this context (social policy, "instrument of social mobility") than the ~900k Ghits for "social ladder".
Discussion