Indicators of Social Mobility:

Education, Occupation, IncomeEducation, Occupation, Income

Indicators of Social Mobility

An indicator is meant to indicatesomething beyond the property.Education, Occupation and income areconsidered to be the main indicators ofSocial Mobility.Social Mobility.

Education

Education is the prime means of socialmobility. Education offers a chance tomake up for the various wrongs sufferedby one’s previous generations. But it isalso important to know that it cannot beconsidered as channel to acquirebureaucratic jobs. Education onlyincreases one’s ability to take advantagebureaucratic jobs. Education onlyincreases one’s ability to take advantageof the opportunities. Education mayprovide the know how which is valuablein business or profession but there areother skills required to grabopportunities. For instance, a Phd holderis just as poor as unemployed illiterate ifhe/she is jobless.

Functions of Education in Context to Social

Mobility

1. Education is a gateway to the professions. The education whichprovides professional credentials give some assurance of prestigiousand a moderately well paid career .

1. Education aids mobility in the modern promotion process from theposition of a labourer to that of a management personnel. In othercase, an intelligent worker might start as an executive and might beposition of a labourer to that of a management personnel. In othercase, an intelligent worker might start as an executive and might besteadily promoted through supervisory levels until the presidency isreached. One may move from unskilled to skilled jobs and eventuallybecome a foreman, but beyond that point lie barriers which aredifficult to pass without proper educational qualifications. Thus wehave two occupational ladders: One stops with the foreman; theother begins with the professional degree and a job in the executiveclass and ends with the presidency. To move from top rung of thefirst to the bottom rung of the second is rarely possible.

2. Education provides access to highly paying governmental positions.

Effects of Education

1. It is clear that the more years one spends in education , the greaterare one’s chances of high income and upward social mobility.

2. Education not only provides the credentials required to pursue manyoccupations but it also helps people understand beyond thetraditional stereotypes.

3. For example, the more years of schooling people receive, the morelikely they are to understand the importance of practicingcontraception.contraception.

4. The quality of education does affect the life chances of students.

5. For instance, students’ course selections at both high school andcollege have been found to affect their later earning power (Griffinand Alexender, 1978)

Over all, we can say that education is not a direct channel ofmobility but it may prepare people to take advantage of changes inthe occupational structure. Education is only helpful to mass socialmobility when expansion and changing technology create morehigh level jobs.

Occupation

Social mobility offers society the ability tofill its occupational positions with theablest people. It offers the individual achance to attain his or her life goal.Occupation has been the most commonindicator of social stratification andmobility both in closed and opensocieties.mobility both in closed and opensocieties.

1. After the industrialization of thecountry, particularly after the twoworld wars, a significant change hascome to be observed in the traditionaloccupations of different castes.

2. Restrictions on the change of

Social Mobility in Closed Society withOccupation as an Indicator

2. Restrictions on the change ofoccupation have been weakened andoccupational mobility has becomepossible.

3. For instance, sub caste if khatik caste(caste of butchers) of U.P are engagedin different occupations of butchery,masonry, rope making and selling offruits

1. In an open society also lot ofimportance is given to occupation.

2. Occupational groups are however notrigid because of the internalheterogeneity of the strata . One canfreely change one’s position in the

Social Mobility in Open Society with Occupationas an Indicator

freely change one’s position in thesystem of stratification by changingone’s occupation.

3. There are more avenues for upwardmobility with the increase ofoccupational opportunities

4. For instance, the multiplication ofservice sector has increasedemployment in service, retail, sales,marketing sectors.

1. Income and economic conditions play a veryimportant role in changing the status of anindividual. In other words, income is animportant indicator of social mobility.

2. On the basis of income, individuals canachieve a high status is society.

3. Even in caste system, one’s status improves

Income

3. Even in caste system, one’s status improvesbecause of improved economic condition.

4. Srinivas in the concept of Sanskritizationillustrates many examples where the lowercaste groups, with the change in incomeadopt life styles of high caste people.

5. In open societies as well, money is theimportant determinant of social class

6. It has also been found, that the ‘new rich’have the money but they lack the life ofupper class people . They buy luxuries likethem but it takes longer to adopt themannerisms of the upper class people.

7. Money has other subtle overtones likeincome from investments is more prestigious

Income

income from investments is more prestigiousthan income from welfare payments.

8. Income from the professions is better thanwages.

9. Money from the speculation on stocks isbetter than the money earned fromgambling on horses.

Therefore, the nature and source of one’sincome carry suggestions as to one’s familybackground and probable way of life.

Thus, the three indicators, education,occupation and income help us indeveloping better understanding of thephenomenon of Social Mobility.

Hence, we can put forth that education ishelpful to create opportunities which

Conclusion

Hence, we can put forth that education ishelpful to create opportunities whichfurther facilitate social mobility. Occupationis an important indicator of mobility, TheGovernment and the expanding industryand service sector is opening more avenuesfor social mobility and finally, Incomeindicates one’s way of life.

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