SOCIAL MOBILITY

SOCIAL MOBILITY

Social Mobility.
Definition's of Social Mobility
Individual & Group Mobility
Types of Social Mobility
i. Vertical Social Mobility ii. Horizontal Social Mobility
Forms of Vertical Mobility
i.Upward Mobility
ii.Downward Mobility
iii.Inter generational Mobility
iv.Intra generational Mobility
v.Structural Mobility.
Causes for vertical Mobility
SOCIAL MOBILITY

Individuals are normally recognized in society through statuses they

occupied and roles they enact.

Not only society is dynamic but also the individuals are dynamic.
Social mobility mean move from lower position to the higher position,
secure previous job from an inferior one.

‘Thus people in society continue to move up and down the status

scale, this movement is called social mobility’. The study of social
mobility is an important aspect of social stratification.
Definition:
Wallace and Wallace:
“Social mobility refers to the movement of a person or person’s from one
social status to another”.
W.P Scott:
“Social mobility refers to the movement of an individual or group from
one social position, class or social stratum to another”.
Sociology Dictionary:
Thus it is clear that social mobility mean movement of an individual or
group form one social position or status to another.
e.g. Poor people may become rich, the bank peon may become bank
officers, farmers may become ministers, and a petty businessman may
become a bankrupt and so on.
Individual & Group Mobility:

Mobility can take place at the individuals as well as group

level. It may take place at the level of individuals, groups,
societies.
Individual Mobility:
When individuals get into seats of political position. They
are said to have achieved individual mobility.
Group Mobility:
Like individuals even groups also attain high social
mobility. The Jews as a community in America and Parsis
as a group in India. e.g. have been able to attain a
relatively high position in their respective societies.
Types of social mobility:
Sorokin has distinguished between two types of social mobility mainly
i. vertical social mobility. ii. Horizontal social mobility.
This typology is normally followed by the other sociologist also.

Vertical social mobility:

Vertical social mobility refers to the movement of an individual or people
or groups from one status to another. it involves change in class,
occupations or power positions. e.g. movement from poor class to
middle class. From occupation laborer to the bank clerk.
Horizontal social mobility:
Horizontal mobility is change in position without the change in status. It
indicates a change in position with in the range of the same position
or status.
“It is movement from one status to its equivalent”.

e.g. a college graduate within a degree of chemistry working in Govt.

research chemical institute and after a year he find that the work
seems dull repetitive, with no improvement in sight then he become a
professor in chemistry at a nearby university.
e.g. An engineer working in factory may resign job and join another
factory as an engineer and may work in more or less the same
capacity or join an engineering college and start working as professor.
 Forms of Vertical Mobility
 Upward Mobility.
 Downward Mobility.
 Inter- generational Mobility.
 Intra- generational Mobility.
 Structural Mobility
Upward Mobility:
This type of mobility denotes social ascendance. It denotes the said
movement from a lower social position or status to a higher social
position or status. It reflects social improvements. e.g. a retail
businessman who earns lot of profit may become a whole sale
businessman.
In the same manner the son of a mason through educational attainments
may become a university professor. Both are two examples of upward
mobility indicates an improvement or ascendance in the status of the
concerned persons.
Downward Mobility:
This type of mobility denotes “social descendance” or “social failure” on
the part of individual or group. Sometimes individuals who fail to
maintain their social, political or economic positions, and lose their
statuses.
Often they stand to lose their position e.g. big businessmen who have
invested huge money in business but face heavy loss. People in high
officers might be denoted due to their corrupt practices and so on.
Inter-generational Mobility:
It refers to a change in the status of family members form one generation
to the next. e.g. a plumber’s son become the Nazim of their
community. Bus conductor’s son becomes the chief minister of a
status.
Intra-generational Mobility:
A change in social status which occurs within a person’s adult career
“Wallace & Wallace” e.g. a lecturer in a pre-university college
becoming a professor at the university after his doctoral degree.
A person working as a supervisor in a factory becoming its Assistant
Manager after getting promotion.
structural Mobility:
Structural mobility is a kind of vertical mobility.
Structural mobility refers to mobility which is brought
about by changes in stratification hierarchy itself. The
structural mobility refers to “the vertical movement of a
specific group, class, or occupation relative to others in
the stratification system”.
e.g. these are the days of computers and information
technology. Hence, computer engineers and technicians
and information technologists receive greater respect
which was previously reserved for scientists and
advocates.
Causes of vertical mobility:
 The necessity of filling in emptied or vacant positions.
 Obtaining eligibility by imitating the Life-styles of the
upper strata.
 To fill in the social vacuum created.
 Inability to perform the tasks assigned.
 Effect of widespread changes in the social-cultural and
political environment.
Causes of vertical mobility:

Inability to perform the tasks assigned

The unfitness of many individuals to perform the proper

functions relevant to their stratum often causes vertical
mobility.
e.g. physical and mental sickness, accidents, old age, family
problems, such other factors.
Under such circumstances the need arises for replacing these
persons with different ones.
Causes of vertical mobility:

The Necessity of Filling in Emptied or vacant

positions:

In most of the societies some upper positions are filled in for a

fixed period by some persons. On the expiry of their term, they will
have to be replaced by some new persons.
Causes of vertical mobility:

Obtaining eligibility by imitating the life-styles of the

upper strata:

There are various criteria by which the social status of the people is
evaluated. “Life Styles” represent, and people of the lower strata to
the upper.
Causes of vertical mobility:

To fill in the social vacuum created:

Because of a lower birth rate within the upper strata, a social

vacuum is created. This can be filled in by the persons
recruited from the lower layers.
e.g. if the owners or founder director or general managers of
the private companies or industries are not having children,
or if they are too young to assume high offices, then, the
relatively efficient individuals occupying lower positions get a
chance to assume high posts.
 Factors that promote social mobility:
 individual factor mobility
 occupation and economic activities
 religious institutions
 political institutions
 family and marriage
 Windfall or the luck factor.
thanks