Education and Social Mobility

Social Mobility: Social Mobility refers to change in the social status of a person or a group in the context of others. It means the movement of an individual in a social structure. It is either vertical or horizontal. Horizontal mobility is the process of making changes in the same status level while vertical mobility is the process of changing from on status to another either to a higher or lower level.

Factors affecting Social Mobility:

·         Structure of the Society: Societies may be of two types, closed societies and open societies. Closed societies maybe backward and narrow minded whereas open societies are thought to be progressive.

·         Religious beliefs and superstitions: If religions followed by people are unscientific in majority of affairs, social mobility will become very difficult, on the other hand, religions interpreted scientifically increase social mobility.

·         Demographic Factors: Migration of people from villages to cities and towns increases social mobility because of the open environment and better future prospects.

·         Economic Factors: Industrialization increases social mobility because it raises general standard of living of the people. Liberalization and Globalization also leads to increase in social mobility

·         Political Factors: Political stability of the country also affects social mobility in the sense that development programmes will not be disturbed before their completion.

·         Education: Education plays the most dominant role n increasing social mobility. Education in itself is a social status. An educated man is generally held in high esteem by the society.

·         Aspiration level of the people: The ambition or aspiration level of the people depends upon the prevailing trend. If people in a society are ambitious , social mobility will be positive whereas if all sections of the society are stagnant economically and socially, no social mobility will be seen.

Relationship between Education and Social Mobility:

·         Education raises individual status in the society.

·         Education can provide good employment opportunities.

·         An individual can overcome the caste barrier through education very easily.

·         Education abolishes rigidity of social structure and removes discrimination based on birth, sex, or ethnicity.

·         Education motivates the people to change occupations to earn more profits resulting in social mobility.

·         Education leads to change in ideals and values resulting in loosening of social stratification which ultimately leads to social mobility.