SOCIAL MOBILITY

Instructor: Mr.Nauroz Khan

Mashal University
 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
(lower) 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 (level)
to another”.
Sociology Dictionary:
Thus it is clear that social mobility mean movement of an
individual or group from 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 Arab as a community in
World as a rich community. 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 (superiority). 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 (brick layer) 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 loss” 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 (copy) the Life-styles of the
upper strata (level).
 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 (unexpected) or the luck factor.
thanks