Meaning of Social Mobility in the society

It is an everyday reality that some people from a low background status suddenly or gradually move up the ladder to a higher status. In recent Nigeria slang, statements like “e don blow” or “I want to blow” or “I don blow” come out from many lips to describe the movement from lower status to an higher status . In the same vein, some people move down the ladder from a high status to a lower status. The movement from one social status to another is known as social mobility.

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Social mobility refers to the movement of an individual or group from one position in the society’s stratification system to another. Social mobility is only possible in a society with an open stratification system as social class can be achieved, contrarily, in close stratification system like slavery and caste where social mobility is forbidden and class is usually ascribed. Click here to checkout my post on social stratification for better understanding.

TYPES OF SOCIAL MOBILITY

Vertical Mobility

This refers to the movement of an individual from one social position in the society to another of a different rank. This movement can be upward (upward mobility) or downward (downward mobility). For example, if an individual works as a teacher in a school but eventually got an appointment as the commissioner of education of his state, this is an upward mobility. A banker who becomes a taxi driver after being laid-off by a bank undergoes a downward mobility. People experience downward mobility because of unemployment, sickness, business set back, lack of necessary skill to survive the economy, losing a job, dropping out of school, bankruptcy, demotion and so on. People also experience upward mobility when their business booms, they upgrade their skill to survive in an economy, they are gainfully employed, increase in income, promotion, marriage to higher status and so on.

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Intergenerational mobility

This involves changes in social position of children in relative to their parents. A doctor whose father was a plumber is an example of upward intergenerational mobility. In addition, a receptionist whose father was an engineer is an example of downward intergenerational mobility.

Intragenerational Mobility

This refers to the changes in social position within a person’s adult life. For example, a man who started work as a clerk in a company but eventually becomes the regional supervisor of that company has undergone upward intragenerational mobility. Whereas, a man banker who becomes a taxi driver after being laid-off from a bank has undergone intragenerational mobility.

Horizontal Mobility

This is the mobility that does not bring about major movement up and down the social ladder; rather, it shows movement from one social position to another of the same ranking. For example, a university lecturer moving from one university to another but still retaining his position as a lecturer.

Structural Mobility
This occurs when changes in the society enables a whole group of people to move up or down the ladder of social class. These changes may occur as consequences of changes in the structure of the economy. For example, in the period of economic recession, there is a downward trend in social mobility as jobs will become scarce, many will lose their jobs, unemployment will become very high and money will be scarce. If however a period of economy boom emerges, there will be an upward trend in social mobility as income rises and many jobs will be created. Therefore, the changes that occurs as a result of changes that occurs in the economy condition is called structural mobility.

WAYS PEOPLE BOOST SOCIAL MOBILITY

People find various means to speed up the process of social climbing, however, |The initial placement of an individual in a social stratification goes a long way to help determine whether social mobility occurred or not. Some of the ways people facilitate social mobility are: contracting the right marriage, joining and manipulating associational membership, adoption of class-type behaviour, change in the standard of living.

Contracting the right marriage is one of the ways social mobility oriented individuals attain movement up the ladder of social stratification. Therefore, individuals tend to marry up, that is, marrying into a family whose social class level is higher than their own. By doing this, such individuals may receive financial assistance from his in-laws; they may also get the necessary connection and advice to propel them to a higher status. However, acceptance into the higher social class is sometimes not automatic, as the individuals that marry up will have to quickly absorb and learn how to act and behave in his/her newly found social class. Failure to do this may result in total rejection from newly found class.

People join some social organization, civic society and other kind of organizations to cultivate acquaintance and friendship, especially with individuals who are superior in the social class ranking in the society. In addition, belonging to these organizations open doors of opportunities (especially to individuals in the lower class), as most of these organizations are known to have great reputation and great individuals. Hence, membership in such organizations is of great advantage.

Adopting class-type behaviour and changing the standard of living are other ways people attempt to boost social class. In order to be accepted to social class, a social mobility conscious individual must have absorbed the mannerism, standard of living and pattern of behaviour associated with an intended social class. Failure to portray these characteristics convincingly may lead to total rejection. Therefore, such individuals deliberately learn the mannerism, behaviours associated with the intended social class. This include, imitating mode of speech, recreation, table manners, acquisition of material possession, and so on. Other ways people fast-track social mobility include updating their skill, acquiring a degree and so on.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have learnt something new today.