Introductory Sociology: Social Stratification - Social Mobility Intragenerational Intergenerational Structural Exchange Upward Downward Horizontal

What It Is

Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups within a society's social hierarchy. For example, a child born into a low-income family who goes on to earn a college degree and secure a well-paying job has experienced upward social mobility. Sociologists care about social mobility because it affects individuals' life chances, opportunities, and overall well-being.

Must-Know Facts

• Social mobility is a key concept in sociology, referring to the movement of individuals or groups within a society's social hierarchy.
• Intragenerational social mobility refers to movement within one's lifetime, while intergenerational social mobility refers to movement across generations.
• Structural social mobility is influenced by factors such as education, occupation, and income, while exchange social mobility is influenced by individual choices and actions.
• Upward social mobility is the movement from a lower to a higher social class, while downward social mobility is the movement from a higher to a lower social class.
• Horizontal social mobility is the movement within the same social class.
• Max Weber argued that social mobility is influenced by factors such as education, occupation, and income.
• Émile Durkheim argued that social mobility is influenced by factors such as family background and social connections.
• The American Dream is the idea that anyone can achieve upward social mobility through hard work and determination.
• The Great Gatsby Curve shows that social mobility is lower in countries with greater income inequality.
• A study by Chetty et al. (2017) found that children born in the United States have a 50% chance of earning more than their parents.
• The Coleman Report (1966) found that family background and social connections are strong predictors of educational attainment.
• The OECD PISA study (2018) found that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to perform better in school.
• The concept of "glass ceiling" refers to the invisible barriers that prevent individuals from advancing to higher levels of social mobility.
• The concept of "social capital" refers to the networks and relationships that facilitate social mobility.
• The concept of "meritocracy" refers to the idea that social mobility is based on individual merit and effort.
• The concept of "social reproduction" refers to the idea that social mobility is influenced by factors such as family background and social connections.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Social mobility is solely determined by individual effort and merit.
• Correction: Social mobility is influenced by a combination of individual effort, family background, social connections, and structural factors.
• Misunderstanding: Social mobility is only relevant to individuals who are born into poverty.
• Correction: Social mobility is relevant to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Misunderstanding: Social mobility is only influenced by education and occupation.
• Correction: Social mobility is influenced by a range of factors, including education, occupation, income, family background, social connections, and structural factors.

Practice Questions

1. What is the term for the movement of individuals or groups within a society's social hierarchy? A) Social change B) Social mobility C) Social inequality D) Social justice Answer: B) Social mobility Why correct: This is the definition of social mobility.

2. What is the term for the movement from a lower to a higher social class? A) Upward social mobility B) Downward social mobility C) Horizontal social mobility D) Intergenerational social mobility Answer: A) Upward social mobility Why correct: This is the definition of upward social mobility.

3. Who argued that social mobility is influenced by factors such as education, occupation, and income? A) Max Weber B) Émile Durkheim C) Karl Marx D) Emile Zola Answer: A) Max Weber Why correct: This is a key idea in Weber's work.

4. What is the term for the idea that anyone can achieve upward social mobility through hard work and determination? A) The American Dream B) The Great Gatsby Curve C) The Coleman Report D) The OECD PISA study Answer: A) The American Dream Why correct: This is the definition of the American Dream.

5. What is the term for the invisible barriers that prevent individuals from advancing to higher levels of social mobility? A) Glass ceiling B) Social capital C) Meritocracy D) Social reproduction Answer: A) Glass ceiling Why correct: This is the definition of the glass ceiling.

Quick Revision

• Social mobility is a key concept in sociology.
• Intragenerational refers to movement within one's lifetime.
• Intergenerational refers to movement across generations.
• Structural refers to factors such as education, occupation, and income.
• Exchange refers to individual choices and actions.
• Upward refers to movement from a lower to a higher social class.
• Downward refers to movement from a higher to a lower social class.
• Horizontal refers to movement within the same social class.
• Max Weber argued that social mobility is influenced by factors such as education, occupation, and income.
• Émile Durkheim argued that social mobility is influenced by factors such as family background and social connections.
• The Great Gatsby Curve shows that social mobility is lower in countries with greater income inequality.
• The Coleman Report (1966) found that family background and social connections are strong predictors of educational attainment.
• The OECD PISA study (2018) found that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to perform better in school.
• The concept of "glass ceiling" refers to the invisible barriers that prevent individuals from advancing to higher levels of social mobility.
• The concept of "social capital" refers to the networks and relationships that facilitate social mobility.
• The concept of "meritocracy" refers to the idea that social mobility is based on individual merit and effort.
• The concept of "social reproduction" refers to the idea that social mobility is influenced by factors such as family background and social connections.