Malavika G NairAIR 45 · CSE 2024 · 227 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
Social mobility is the phenomenon which allows the horizontal or vertical movement of individuals or groups across various social strata. Social mobility may be understood in terms of the various societal frameworks.
I. Open society: Promotes social mobility
Body · points
→ e.g. Capitalist America. → Individual social mobility avenues are accentuated in such societies due to education, industrialization, urbanization etc. (Fox and Miller). Parsons, Davis and Moore etc emphasize on this aspect for functionality of society. → Group social mobility is also possible in open societies but rather less pronounced due to focus on individuals.
II. Closed Society: Societal values do not promote mobility, emphasize status quoist hierarchy e.g. Caste system India, Feudal Europe, Russia
→ Individual level: strongly discouraged and often impossible to do. However, to some extent possible eg: Ghurye talks of Sadhus and their respectable social position in terms of 'status'.
→ Societal/Group level: Dipankar Gupta says group social mobility is possible eg: Sanskritization - M.N Srinivas or by Westernization eg: Parsis in India. This is aided by political power, numerical ascendancy, domination of secular hierarchy etc. eg: SNDP movement in Kerala.
Close
However, no societies are completely open or closed in practice. The avenue of social mobility in American societies is limited by elite self recruitment, lack of access to legitimate means (Merton) etc. At the same time, revolutions and social movement can change closed societies.