Types of Mobility ( UPSC Optionals)

Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups across the social structure or change in position in social structure in a system of social stratification.

PYQs: Types of Mobility

How is vertical and horizontal social mobility problematic in society? Suggest solutions. (05/60)
समाज में ऊर्ध्वाधर और क्षैतिज सामाजिक गतिशीलता कैसे समस्याग्रस्त है? समाधान सुझाएं। (05/60)

Types: Horizontal Mobility and Vertical Mobility.

Horizontal Mobility often occurs with vertical mobility (e.g., promotion requiring relocation) – Giddens.

Aspect	Horizontal Mobility	Vertical Mobility
Definition	Movement within the same social level without a change in status or hierarchy	Movement up or down the social hierarchy
Nature of Change	Change in role/occupation without status change	Change in status – either upward or downward
Examples	Agricultural worker becomes wage labourer in city	Clerk becomes a manager (upward) or manager demoted to clerk (downward)
Mobility Type	Lateral shift in profession, location, or role	Hierarchical shift in socio-economic status
Impact	Minimal structural change, more personal adjustment	Significant social consequences and class realignment
With Industrialisation	Specialisation restricts horizontal mobility	Creates opportunities for upward mobility through merit and skills
Anthony Giddens	Calls it lateral mobility, says it’s widespread in modern society	Defines it as movement on socio-economic scale, emphasizes its social implications
Sociological Focus	More important for individual’s experience	More studied by sociologists due to broader social impact

Types: Open System and Closed System of Mobility

Aspect	Open System	Closed System
Definition	A system where social mobility is possible	A system where social mobility is highly restricted
Mobility Possibility	High – based on merit, achievement	Low – fixed by birth, tradition
Norms	Prescribe mobility – supports meritocracy	Proscribe mobility – favors traditional, fixed roles
Basis of Status	Achieved status (education, skills, talent)	Ascribed status (caste, race, family)
Social Structure	Flexible and dynamic	Rigid and static
Example	Modern industrial societies	Caste system in traditional India, feudal Europe
Mobility Type	Both vertical and horizontal mobility common	Vertical mobility rare or absent
Thinker’s Insight	Linked to achievement-based societies (e.g., Parsons)	Linked to ascription-based systems (e.g., Davis & Moore)

Types: Intragenerational and Intergenerational Mobility

Feature	Intergenerational Mobility	Intragenerational Mobility
Definition	Change in social status between two or more generations.	Change in social status within a person's own lifetime.
Example	Son of a rickshaw puller becomes a professor.	A person starts as a clerk and becomes a superintendent.
Time Frame	Spans across generations (e.g., parent to child).	Happens during an individual's career or life span.
Focus	Examines shifts in status across family lineage.	Focuses on individual’s occupational and status progression.
Domain of Mobility	Can involve class, income, occupation, education.	Mostly occupational mobility.
Thinkers' Views	Pitirim Sorokin emphasized need of mobility across generations.	Robert K. Merton called it "Status Sequence"

Aspect	Absolute Mobility	Relative Mobility
Definition	Change in actual position or status of a person in real terms	Change in position compared to others in the social hierarchy
Example	Increase in income, better job regardless of others	Moving up or down relative to others’ positions
Focus	Actual, measurable improvement or decline	Comparative, ranking-based change
Thinker’s View	R.H. Turner introduced Sponsored vs Contested mobility	Emphasized that all systems allow mobility but differ in degree
Type of Mobility	Sponsored (mobility with external support like reservation)	Contested (mobility through open competition)
System Characteristic	Measures real upward or downward movement	Measures change in social standing relative to others

Caused by changes in the structure of society: Structural mobility results from shifts in the economy, technology, or social institutions that create or eliminate opportunities for social mobility.
Affects large groups simultaneously: It impacts many people regardless of their individual qualities. For example, the IT boom in India created upward mobility for a large number of youth.
Independent of individual effort: It is not the result of personal hard work or merit, but due to broader social or economic changes.
Example: Industrialization or urbanization: These processes shift people from rural agrarian livelihoods to urban jobs, enabling upward mobility across generations.

Based on personal effort: This type of mobility is linked to an individual's education, talent, skills, or hard work.
Can be upward or downward: An individual may rise to a higher class (e.g., from working class to middle class) or fall due to loss of job, failure in business, etc.
More specific and personal: Unlike structural mobility, it affects specific persons or families rather than whole populations.
Example: A student from a poor background becoming a successful civil servant through competitive exams.