Social Mobility

Movement by a group or an individual from one social level, or strata, in the hierarchy to another. Some societies known as closed stratification societies have strict boundaries between strata, while others known as open stratification societies allow for more movement between strata. A person whose parents did not go to college, rented an apartment, and worked at low-wage jobs may go on to college, own a home, and work at a high-paying white-collar job. This would be upward mobility. Conversely, those with advanced education and training may not be able to find employment in their field at a given time and may become unable to afford the kind of housing, education, or medical care they were accustomed to. There is a strong link between a person's level of education and social class. Critics argue, though, that access to education correlates to level of social class. Thus, a person in a lower social class will have reduced access to education and a reduced chance of social mobility, reproducing the same patterns of education and social class for a child as for his or her parents.