Page 250 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Unit 11: Social Mobility

groups. Based on the degree of circulation, we can distinguish between immobile and mobile Notes
types of society.Vertical mobility functions to some degree in any society. There must be the
membranes” (thin layers) between the “strata”, “holes”, “staircases”, “elevators” or
“channels”, which permit individuals to move up and down, from stratum to stratum.
• The persons, who occupy superior and lucrative positions, try to create barriers to the upward
mobility of the lowly placed members of the society.
• Horizontal mobility implies a very high degree of dynamism. The main point in horizontal
mobility is that it does not affect the system of social stratification as such. People can move
up or down within the broad normative framework of the social stratification. This is possible
due to education, occupation, migration, new opportunities and desire for betterment of
lifestyles.
• The demographic factor has a bearing on social mobility in all societies. Fertility decline and
decline in population are very crucial factors in affecting the rate of social mobility. It has
been observed that the birth rate of higher strata population is lower than the lower strata
population. Likewise the death rate of lower strata population is higher than the upper
strata population. Decline in fertility rate provides scope for mobility of women.
• At the individual level, two factors facilitate for social mobility. One is achievement motivation
and other one is individual talent. People can achieve mobility with the help of their talent
like excellence in sports, arts, music etc. In ascriptive based societies, talent and ability has
little to do with mobility. Lipset and Bendix state that there are always new supplies of talent
which must be absorbed somewhere or the other.
• Industrial societies are characterized by democratic system of governance. The democratization
of political systems, with all its noble values removed the barriers to social mobility. With
the introduction of universal adult franchise, panchayti raj system, constitutional, political
and social rights etc., social mobility was further facilitated in India. Traditional occupational
specialization got replaced by industrialization. Education came to play vital role in changing
the stratification system. Ascriptive position became irrelevant. Due to re-ranking of some
occupation there happened shift in nature and esteem of some jobs. Some occupations came
to occupy less importance which had more value earlier.
• There are several factors which act as barrier to social mobility. Poverty, lack of access to
education, lack of information of opportunities, traditional upper strata people, uneven
development etc. act as a barrier to social mobility. It is believed that industrialization provides
avenues to upward mobility, but the industrial societies are not as open as it is believe. The
class of origin is still important to gain opportunity. In India some groups are denied equality
of opportunity even today. Though the legal barriers have been removed, social inequalities
still exists and are acting as barrier to mobility.
• A major factor for mobility is social change. The process of social mobility can bring about
change in the system of stratification. When social mobility is restricted, then also it will help
for change because discontent with the existing system led to change of the system. Some
times mobility comes as a result of revolutions, reform movements, rebellions etc. in such
case mobility accompany change. In this regard Marx, Merton, Giddens, Pareto contributed
a lot.
• These approaches to caste mobility are singularistic and do not encompass the totality of
mobility taking place today in caste system. One would agree with Lynch’s observation that
there was no agreement about the conception of caste and the units that structure it. If such
an ambiguity persists, then the units which move, remain unclear. I would further agree
with Lynch that mobility within the caste system is not really distinguished from change of
the system. Change within or between castes does not necessarily constitute mobility within
the caste system, unless one accepts mobility as the only significant kind of change in Indian

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