Telling an exceptional story: Meritocratic accounts of upwardly mobile Limeños

Research in cultural class analysis shows that individuals often rely on meritocratic beliefs to justify their social position. Those in prominent roles typically attribute their success to ‘effort’ and ‘talent’, while downplaying or overlooking the influence of external resources and support in shaping their trajectories. However, these claims of ordinariness only partially explain how meritocratic beliefs shape the experiences of upward mobility. Drawing on 42 interviews with upwardly mobile and intergenerationally stable high-level professionals and managers in Lima, this article explores how upwardly mobile Limeños construct narratives about their social trajectories and justify their positions relative to their peers. It reveals that meritocratic narratives function not only as mechanisms of self-validation but also as a way for upwardly mobile individuals to distinguish themselves from their more privileged counterparts, establishing a symbolic boundary between ‘privilege’ and ‘talent’.