Mobility

and Social
arial Sratification
137

re 0pen System : Indian stratification is rigid artd closed one. Education

bute in transforming it into lexible and open system. Higher education brings
occupational skills, it also changes tastes, etiquettes and life styles.
not only
dlol Mobility : Education can promote social movement and mobility.
Motivating : Education ignites the fire of discontent among the people and
ares them to at least work Tor change in their status for better
Check on elite class : The elite class controls the educational system and thus
Ae system serves their class interests. This can be checked through education.
6 Equality of opportunity : Education can empower minority and backward
arses. Education can provide more opportunities to the backward and minority classes
y Many educational Acts have been enforced for this purpose e.g. UEE,
Reservation etc.

1. Women Education : Woman is no longer amere object of poetic dreams and

insoiration. She has come out to work shoulder to shoulder with men for the enrichment
f ie Incentives and reservation policies for women play a major role in the
empowerment of women.

8. Education for the poor :According to Education Commission's report (1966),

One of the most important social objectives of education is to equalize opportunity,
enabling the backward or underprivileged classes and individuals to use education as
alever for the improvement of their condition. Every society that values social justice
nd is anxious to improve the lot of the common man and cultivate all available talent
must ensure progressive equality of opportunity to all the sections of the population.
This is the only guarantee for the building of an egalitarian and human society by
which the exploitation of the weak willbe minimized."
9. Ensures Circulation of Elites : Education is one of the powerful means to
equalize opporunity, helps social mobility, special privileges, incentives, scholarships
etc.

Effect of Social Stratification on Education

Social stratification in Indian situation has acted more as a divisive force rather
han cohesive one.
I. Differential standard of Educational Institutions : Children from poor
lailies receive education in substandard institutions, which are not properly equipped
MIn teachers, teaching aids and apparatus. Usually urban schools and colleges are of
eler slandard than rural schools and colleges. Differences in the standard of
Onal institutions ultimately cause inequality in the standard of students.
Expenses of Education : Education helps in establishing equality and ensuring
Justice but the system of education itself can add to the existing inequalities or
sthe Epetuate the same. Inequalities of educationalopportunities arise due to Poverty
poor cannot afford to meet the expenses of education.
Tural Competition among Rural and Urban Students : Children studying in the
schools have to compete with the children in urban areas where there are well.
tquipped schools.
 PERSPECTIVES AND
138
PROCESS OP
In the places where no primary, secondary or collegiate educatin
exist, children do not get the same opportunity as those who
have all the
neighborhood. Hence, poor performance in the competitions for
privileged students. They remain in the lower strata of the society.higher
4. Difference in the Home Environ ment : Wide inequalities aka .
diflerences in home environments. Achild from a rural household orsh
have the same opportunity as a child from an upper class home with edu

5. Sex Disparity : There is wide sex disparity in India. Here girl's edr
not given the same encouragement as boys. Education of backward classest
SC and ST and economically backward sections is not at par with tht de
communities or classes. Women were made to stay behind the four walls ofthe
and manage household chores rather than avail educational opportunities.
6. Inheritance : More emphasis has been laid on inheritance than talent. Elge
is a major component of social class, both directly and indirectly. Directly, indvib
from higher social classes are more likely to have the means to attend more prestg.
schools, and are therefore more likely to receive higher education. Indirectly, indivi
who benefit from such higher education are more likely to land prestigious jobs,
in turn, higher salaries. Just as education and social class are closely intertw
stratification in education contributes to stratification in social class.
7. Thwarted desires : Religion, caste and class has suppressed people's tes
to improve their social status by attaining higher education.
8. Maintenance of power : The desire of the power class to control and cont
to have power, limit the operation of equality of opportunity. These restrici
due to the tendency of those persons after gaining the most highly rewarded pes
attempt to maintain them in future and wish to transmit them to their ofispring
they want to monopolize educational opportunities.
reinforced )
9. Legacy admission : Such educational inequality is further applicans
legacy admission, the preference given by educational institutions to
are related to alumni of that institution.
Thus a typical situation exists in Indian society, On one hand efforts
made to cut barriers of stratification along caste lines. On the other, more stra
on class lines is being inculcated through a class conscious educational syste
Social Mobility commonly to &
sta
Social mobility is shifting from one social statuS to another. becomesa profe
that is either higher or lower. For example, a child of a laborer whoo
achieves upward social mobility. In sociology, social mobility explains castt
than cs
rather
lack thereof) in social status. Societies organized by social class, achieveahighc
usually allow greater social mobility: in such societies, one's ability toD
social status can depend on factors such as social connections, wealth.sociologis
education c Gender and race can limit
upward social mobility, and many opportunitio
believe social mobility depends more on social
structures -such as the
offered to different groups of people -rather than individual efforts.
 PERSPECTIVES AND PROCESS
142

of people move from lowstatus as poor people to anew and high1status as t

it is an indication of the fact that economic development has taken p!
people had not moved from their original class of poor people lo
Deople, it would have indicated that economic development is yet to taa
at micro level.
End of caste-based discrimination : Social mobility leads to the end
based discrimination against so-called low caste people by the
people. Open social mobility ends the diseriminatory and unfairlyso-hien
calltd hig
system because it encourages the social mobility completely independe
noms delimiting the area within which social mobility is to take place
Class formation : The rate of social mobility may have an importay
class formation. For example if the rate of social mobility is low, class salig
cohesion will be high.
Social Justice : Providing chances of equal opportunities for all socil:
a democratic commitment. Ademocratic society has to depend upon "n ea
opportunity structure."
Job satisfaction : Social mobility is inclusive of occupational mobily s
the traditional societies (for example traditional caste society) occupations ar u
hereditary in character and hence children are obliged to follow the occure
their parents whether they have a liking for it or not. Now, in modem industral su
things are different. People necd not stick on to their parental occupations.
a vast opportunity and freedom to change their occupations. This opportuni t
selection or change has contributed to their job satisfaction.
Improvement in the life Styles : A person who gets into an occup
profession as per his capacities and expectations is likely to be more satisfiet
and est
For the very same reason, he may work sincerely, put in more efforts
income also. The higher income or economic rewards help him to improvt a
sa
styles." For example, a low class man after obtaining the middle class
definitely pay attention to improve his sty le of life. He may purchase a vers
construct hs ow
relatively costly dresses, get better education for children, and
and so on.
a
Opportunities for confidence: Social mobility makes individual ina
lt
and dynamic. It keeps the individuals fit to life in a competitive societ.
for socialt
to note here that the societies that provide greater oopportunities
also those that entertain and encourage competitive values.
individuais
Reposes confidence in the established society : Average
positions. r
of societies expect some chances or the other to improve their
also expect still better opportunities. Individuals who feel thatostrgt
"sT sala opportunities to grow well, are the ones
provides them
improvement. They do not lose faith in the svstern, They be that sH
in the near uf
would yield them due rewards, if not immediately, at least system even if the
ofthis faith they would remain as the supporterss of the
mobilities involve difficulties and chalenges.
Caial Sratification and Social Mobility 141
.Mobility is usually gradual and not radical. Exceptions do occur but not
very frequently.
leward mobility from the lowest stratum has
hieher education and vocational training. been greatly facilitated by
.The degree of competition depends on the class for
which a person competes.
Competition among workers is not very strong. Competition for upper-upper
class positions is also moderate because even
ambitious and gifted persons
realize that their chances to succeed are very slim. The
positions occurs in the middle and lower-upper classes. greatest struggle for
, Generally, the rate of mobility increases ifa
and system (ora part ofit) is expanding
decreases if it remains stable or is shrinking.
. The rate of social mobility may have an important
For example, Anthony Giddens (1973) suggests that effect
ifthe
on class formation.
is low, rate of social mobility
class solidarity and cohesion will be high.
. Astudy of social mobility can
provide an
the members of the society. For example, indication of the life chances for
it can show the degree to which a
person's class of origin influences his or her chances of obtaining a high
occupation. status
It is important to know how people
respond to the
mobility i.e. how people react when they move upor downexperience
the social
of social
hierarchy.
Importance of Social Mobility
Increase in Social prestige : When upward vertical
a person social mobility takes place,
moves from a low social status to a high social status.
leads to an increase in social prestige. Thus, social mobility

Development of latent talent: Social mobility helps us develop our latent

that will otherwise rermain passive. If we ability
remain confined to our current status, position,
class or occupation, it is impossible to develop our
remain confined to the occupation- farming we maylatent ability. For example, if we
have a latent ability to become
agreat leader. We can develop it through
social mobility by moving from the farming
eld to political field. Thus, social mobility
results in the development of our latent
ability.
Modernization of agriculture and industrialization : Modernizing agriculture
and industrialization is impossible without people with
social relevantexpertise. Without
mobility, the society
cannot develop the
equired the modernization of agriculture andmanpower
with relevant expertise
for
industrialization. The labor force
quired for industries cannot be made available in urban areas without social mobility.
s, the importance of social mobility also lies in the fact that
it, at least facilitates
modernization of agriculture and
industrialization.
ooCtal change: In a society where no social mobility takes place,
no social
akes place. If the members residing in a society do not change their current
cial position, the society will not develop.
vomic Development : When upward vertical social mobility becomes
Midesoread, cconomic development takes place. In other words, when alarge number
 PERSPECTIVES AND
140
Upward Mobility :
PROCESS
When a person or a group of persons move
OF

an upper position, it is called uupward mobility e.g. when aperSnte

position to occupying a lower position after winning
caste and
alowerand occupies a higher position. He may not be able to change is
tominister elections
e

upwards.
economic and political power, he may move
with his position and conar.
Downward Mobility : When one loses a higher
is called downward mobility e.g. an engineer cauph s
lower position it members of the society
jail. He may be ostracized by the
sentenced to
moved downwards.
factor is an important
Inter-Generational Social Mobility : Timeinvolved in social mohile
time factor
social mobility, On the basis of the
inter-generational mobility. It is a change in status from thu
another type of
within the parents' household to that of the child upon reachingalo%
child began family members from one
generation
change in the status of
It refers toa becoming an officer. I is important because the e:
For example, a farmer's son
tells us to what extent inequalities are passed on ftr
of this mobility in a society peek
to the next. Inequality is clearly deeply built into the society for
generation mobiliy :
being determined at the moment of birth. When there is a
chances are regardles e
able to achieve new statuses through their own efforts,
are clearly
circumstances of their birth.
to Sorokin, the rate of social mobility between generati
According
affected by : taln
between parents and children : Children may be more
Difference
less capable than their parents. mobulity
Population change : Population increase can lead to greater
"
lower middle levels.
: With changing times, many
octu
in occupational structure
" Changes importance.
their social
have been upgraded or downgraded as per taking place in personal erts
Intra-Generational Mobility : Mobility
intra-generational mobility. It recn
same person is called
the lifespan of the lifetime. It my
advancement in one's social level during the course of one's u
as a change in social status, which occurs within a person S
understood becomes its assiaia
example, a person working as a supervisor in a factory
For
after getting promotion.
changes in society can c
Structural Mobility : Major upheavalsupandthe social ladde. at the sane
move
numbers of people's opportunities to mobility. Industrialization, advan
structural of pe
form of mobility is termed computerization have allowed largeegroups group
education and postindustrial
jobs than did their
improve their social status and find higher level
Characteristics of Social Mobility
characteristics of social moom
Bergel (1962) refers to the following degree
" There is always a social mobility in both
directions, but the
trends for different strala.
to changes and there can be different
 Casial Suratification and Social Mobiliry 139
Definitions
Social mobility has been defined by many scholars in various ways :
Sorokin was the first sociologist who wrote a book on mobility, "Social and
ulural Mobility." He was of the opinion that there is no society which is closed,
not
en the Indian society with its rigid caste system and no
en though it may be based on the class system. He further
society is
completely open
contended that no two
oncieties are exactly the same with respect to the amount of
movement allowed or
Aiecouraged. Further, the speed of movement or change may differ from one period of
time to another. The rate of change depends upon the level of modernization of a
given society.
As defined by Barber, social mobility refers to "movement, either upward or
downward, between higher or lower social classes; or more precisely, movement
hetween one relatively full time, functionally significant social role and
valuated as either higher or lower. This movement is to be conceived as a another that is
process
occurring over time, with individuals moving from one role and social position to
another because of what has happened to them in various kinds of social
interactions,"
Aldridge (2003) defines social mobility as "the movement or
movement between different social classes or occupational groups." opportunities for
According to Wallace and Wallace:"social mobility is the movement of a person
or persons from one social status to another."
Horton and Hunt define social mobility as "Social mobility refers to
movemen:
up or down in social status."
According to Goldhamer"Social mobility is the movement of individuals, family,
groups from one social position to another."
W.B. Scott," Social mobility refers to the movement of an
individual or group
Irom one social position or class or social stratum to another"
From the above account and definitions of social mobility, it is clear that social
mobility is a situation in which we change our current class, occupation and area and
move to another class. occupation and area. When we move to another class,
2nda occupation
dea, our social position may increase or decrease or remain unchanged.
Types of Social Mobility
ndividual mobility and Group Mobility : When individuals get into seats of
sbt position; acquire money and exert influence over others because of their new
s, Like the individuals. even the groups attain high social mobility. The Jews as
a iay in America, and Parsis as a group in India, for example, have been able to
attain
relatively high position in their respective societies.
but no Orzontal
0
mobility : It involves a change in position, especially in occupation,
a change
in mobility." An example would be
social I class. It is called *horizontal
In person n who
moves from a managerial position in one company toa similar position
another. It involves moving within the same status category.
innobility involves achange in social class; it is called "vertical mobility"
and
involves
either "upward mobility" or "downward mobility."