Social Mobilitywww.educationforum.co.uk

What is Social MobilitySocial mobility is defined as movement from one class/status position to anotherThere are 2 types:Intra- generational movement within one generation e.g. a person moves from one social class to another in the course of their life timeInter generational movement between generations e.g. a persons father was a Liverpool docker and he is a teacher

Types of StatusSociologists talk of two types of statusAscribed status is something you cant change. It is inherited by virtue of class, gender, ethnic group.Achieved Status is earned by your individual effort.In a meritocracy status is supposed to be achieved. Meritocratic societies should show high degrees of social mobility

Problems of measuring social mobility1. Using occupation can be a problem e.g. with the RG classification social class is determined by male head of household often still used despite being out of date because of the need to compare studies over time2. Mobility studies focus on those in work and therefore ignore the very rich and the very poor

Social Mobility StudiesThere are 3 main social mobility studies you need to know aboutThe Oxford (Nuffield) Mobility Study (OMS) 1972The Scottish Mobility Study (SMS) 1987The Essex University Mobility Study 1988

The Oxford (Nuffield) Mobility Study (OMS) 1972

Used the Hope Goldthorpe scale to measure social classLed by Goldthorpe found high rates of absolute mobility. (the total numbers going upwards).Relative mobility chances remained unchanged those born higher up the social scale had better chances of achieving higher class positions

Why Had Absolute Mobility Increased?Economic change change in occupational structure growth of service sector with better pay and better life chances throughout the 60s and 70s whilst traditional working class jobs had declinedGreater professional opportunities with the expansion of state education, health and welfareFree secondary education since the Butler Act 1944 and made more working class people more socially mobile

The Scottish Mobility StudySMS concluded that opportunities for social mobility were influenced by age and regionSocial mobility more likely to occur in SE England amongst young people. The North and Scotland did not enjoy this.SMS detected the suggested we were moving towards a middle class SE of opportunity with the underclass being located in the north and Scotland

The Essex University Mobility StudyEUMS by Marshall largely confirmed the trends identified by the OMS absolute mobility improving, relative mobility unchangingMarshall also pointed out that absolute mobility was slowing down and that the UK was still a long way away from being truly meritocratic

Theories of Social MobilityThere are three broad theories you need to know aboutIntelligence Theory (New Right)Neo-Marxist theoryRational Action Theory

Functionalism and the New RightPeter Saunders claims the UK is a meritocratic society with lots of opportunities for social mobility. He says that the inequality that we see is the result of differences in effort and intelligenceClass destinations reflect individual merit much more than class background

Neo Marxist TheorySocial Mobility is a myth class society is reproduced and we stay in either the bourgeoisie or the proletariatGrowth of service sector work isnt upward mobility service jobs just as exploitative and repetitive as factory workEducation reform has disproportionately benefitted the middle class

Rational Action TheoryGoldthorpe argues that people are rational actors who calculate the relative costs and benefits of social mobility. Rates of absolute and relative mobility can be explained by thisE.g. a working class family may see the achievement of a service sector job for their children as success whereas a middle class family will view it as a failure