TASK: DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL MOBILITY AND EXPLAIN FACTORS

WITHIN THE KENYAN CONTEXT THAT MAY CAUSE AN INDIVIDUALS UPWARDS

OR DOWNWARDS MOBILITY.

Social mobility is basically the movement of individuals, families or groups through a system of
social hierarchy involving change in position especially occupation but not class.

Social mobility can also be described as the ability of individuals, families or groups to move up
or down the social ladder in a society for instance low-income to middle class. Mainly used to
describe changes in wealth.

Its concept originated from a Russian –born American Sociologist and political activist Pitirim
Sorokin who first introduced the concept of social mobility in his book Social and Cultural
Mobility where people compete and cooperate with others in society to move up the social
mobility ladder.

Upward mobility is where one moves from a lower to higher position in a society for instance
occupying higher social positions in the same societal group, this influences their thinking and
behavior and forced to adapt new behaviors in the society due to their upward movement.
Downward mobility is where one moves from a higher to lower position in a society due to
wrong deeds that can result to loss of positions or status in a society, this could be stressful for
people who encounter rapid decline in social status and find it difficult to adapt to new
environment with different living standards not friendly to them.

Several factors influence social mobility either upwards or downwards. This factors include;

Skills and Trainings

This is mostly impacted to the younger generation or the youth who spend a lot of time and
money to better themselves and acquire different professional skills and trainings that would give
or grant them a better position in the society in terms of job opportunities and rankings. An
individual with acquired skills and trainings stand a better position in privileges like higher social
status and economic rewards than those who lack it, this helps them improve lifestyle and
positions hence encourages upwards social mobility.

Industrialization
This introduced a new social system where people were given status according to their trainings
and qualifications without focusing on race, religion or ethnicity, people were forced to acquire
new trainings so as to fit in and even acquire jobs in the industries, due to this, they were
accorded a higher social status in the industrial society unlike countries where status were
accorded according to both hence promoting greater social mobility.

Motivation
Every individual has the desire to have a good life or better living standards and also improve
their social status and standards, this motivates them to work hard, improve on their skills so as
to acquire or attain higher social status.

Achievements and failures

The performance that attracts individuals to a particular person which positively affects the status
thus encourages upward mobility. On the other hand, failures encourage downwards mobility
since a failure is not considered or recognized by the society and in most cases neglected by
majority or the society for instance a criminal will be removed from the upper class.
Education
Thus is another key concept and helps individuals acquire all round knowledge and a through
pass for higher prestige and recognition status .For instance engineers,doctors,this comes after
one has acquired minimum formal education. Education is a basis requirement in most aspects in
the society today.

In conclusion, the above factors affect social mobility both positively and negatively influencing
the upwards or downwards mobility of individuals but also give a chance for one to better their
societal status for instance through trainings and education one is able to move from downward
to upward class or status.

REFERENCES
Weber, max (1946), Class, status party
Brazis, Elissa s;Heiller,Joels (2016/12)social mobility and higher education.