class mobility

Examples of class mobility in the following topics:

• Class

  • The upper class is the social class composed of those who are wealthy, well-born, or both.
  • Class mobility refers to movement from one class status to another--either upward or downward.
  • This approach facilitates tracking people over time to measure relative class mobility.
  • For example, the income and education level of parents can be compared to that of their children to show inter-generational class mobility.
  • Compare and contrast Marx's understanding of 'class' with Weber's class model

• Types of Social Mobility

  • Barack Obama's ascent from being the child of a middle-class interracial couple to being the president of the United States is an example of upward mobility.
  • The British middle class thus experienced absolute upward mobility.
  • Once the British middle class experienced absolute upward mobility, an individual child became expected to achieve greater status than their parents, even though this was not true in every individual case.
  • A distinction can be drawn between absolute social mobility, which refers to the total observed movement of people between classes, and relative social mobility, which is an estimate of the chance of upward or downward movement of a member of one social class in comparison with a member from another class.
  • Relative social mobility might refer to the opportunities presented to a middle class child born in a particular area of the United States, who might be predicted to attain a college level education and a maximum income of $80,000, for example.

• Open vs. Closed Stratification Systems

  • Though the extent to which individuals have social mobility in the United States is debated, new members of the elite are evidence that there is some mobility between classes.
  • The difference between these types of class systems are their structural mobility.
  • In a class system that has high structural mobility, it's easy to move around between social classes based on the way the society is structured, regardless of your individual achievements.
  • These types of class systems are achievement-based economic system with social mobility and relations between classes.
  • An open system describes a society with mobility between different social classes.

• Social Class

  • Many Americans believe in a simple three-class model that includes upper class, the middle class, and the lower class or working class.
  • Thought of this way, once individuals identify as being within a class group they begin to adhere to the behaviors they expect of that class.
  • By adhering to class expectations, individuals create sharper distinctions between classes than may otherwise exist.
  • Sociologists studying class distinctions since the 1970s have found that social classes each have unique cultural traits.
  • Due to class mobility, in some cases individuals may also acculturate to the culture of another class when ascending or descending in the social order.

• Social Class in the U.S.

  • Many Americans believe in a simple three-class model that includes the rich or upper class, the middle class, and the poor or working class.
  • One social class model proposed by sociologists posits that there are six social classes in America.
  • Since the middle class is the largest yet most vaguely defined class, it is important to think about how people come to identify themselves as "middle class."
  • Due to class mobility, in some cases, individuals may also acculturate to the culture of another class when ascending or descending in the social order.
  • Many sociologists dispute the existence of such class mobility and point to the ways in which social class is inherited.

• Class Structure in the U.S.

  • Many Americans recognize a simple three-tier model that includes the upper class, the middle class, and the lower or working class.
  • In this model, the upper class (3% of the population) is divided into upper-upper class (1% of the U.S. population, earning hundreds of millions to billions per year) and the lower-upper class (2%, earning millions per year).
  • The middle class (40%) is divided into upper-middle class (14%, earning $76,000 or more per year) and the lower-middle class (26%, earning $46,000 to $75,000 per year).
  • The working class (30%) earns $19,000 to $45,000 per year.
  • Many sociologists dispute the existence of such class mobility and point to the ways in which social class is inherited.

• Social Mobility

  • Social mobility is the movement of an individual or group from one social position to another over time.
  • However, it may also refer to changes in health status, literacy rate, education, or other variables among groups, such as classes, ethnic groups, or countries.
  • Social mobility typically refers to vertical mobility, movement of individuals or groups up or down from one socio-economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marriage.
  • A distinction can also be drawn between absolute social mobility, which refers to the total observed movement of people between classes, and relative social mobility, which is an estimate of the chance of upward or downward movement of a member of one social class in comparison with a member from another class.
  • Relative social mobility might refer to the opportunities presented to a middle class child born in a particular area of the United States, who might be predicted to attain a college level education and a maximum income of $80,000, for example.

• Social Mobility

  • Historical events can thus alter the extent of social mobility seen in countries.
  • However, it may also refer to changes in health status, literacy rate, education, or other variables among groups, such as classes, ethnic groups, or countries.
  • Social mobility typically refers to vertical mobility—movement of individuals or groups up or down from one socio-economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marriage.
  • Some societies with low or nonexistent social mobility afford free individuals opportunities to initiate enterprise and amass wealth, but wealth fails to "buy" entry into a higher social class.
  • Several studies have been conducted to compare social mobility between countries.

• Social Mobility in the U.S.

  • Strong social and economic mobility is considered part of American Dream, though there is relatively low social mobility in the U.S.
  • The American Dream is often associated with a series of novels written by Horatio Alger in the late 19th century, most of which told the story of a young person born to a lower class family who achieved higher status through hard work and virtue.
  • Socioeconomic mobility in the United States refers to the movement of Americans from one social class or economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marrying.
  • The limit to women's and minorities' upward mobility is called the glass ceiling.
  • In the United States, white males have greater social mobility than women and racial/ethnic minorities, whose mobility is limited by the glass ceiling.

• Prestige

  • Prestige refers to the reputation or esteem associated with one's position in society, which is closely tied to their social class.
  • An individual's prestige is closely tied to their social class – the higher the prestige of an individual (through their occupation or, sometimes, their family name), the higher their social class.
  • Prestige is often related to the other two indicators of social class - property and power.
  • Prestige is a strong element in social mobility.
  • Compare the two types of prestige - achieved and ascribed, and how prestige is related to power, property and social mobility