Social Mobility

We explain what social mobility is, its types, causes and its relationship with poverty. Also, what is social mobility like in Mexico.

What is social mobility?

Social mobility is the movement of individuals, families or groups from one social position to another within a certain spectrum of socioeconomic stratification.

If this mobility allows a change in job occupation or territorial residence but does not entail a change in social class, it is called “horizontal mobility”. If mobility consists of incorporation into another social class due to a significant change in income or standard of living, it is called “vertical mobility”. Vertical mobility can be “upward” (moving to a higher social class) or “downward” (moving to a lower social class).

The concept of social mobility is frequently used in sociology to study the functioning of class or stratified societies. In modern societies, it is closely related to the idea of ​​meritocracy, that is, with the possibility for individuals to rise socially and improve their quality of life if they try hard enough.

However, Upward social mobility does not depend only on individual merits but also on widespread access to new opportunities. For this reason, societies are often classified according to the level of social mobility they enable based on their socioeconomic structures and educational systems. For example, many immigrants who fled poverty in southern Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century were able to ascend socially in countries like Argentina due to the demand for labor and the promotion of educational policies in a historical context. of modernization.

At the opposite extreme to a society with social mobility are societies without social mobility, in which classes are rather social classes that remain fixed and immovable, regardless of the attitudes of individuals or families. This situation occurs mainly in societies whose hierarchical system is based on birth, such as castes in India or the three estates in medieval Europe (although in the latter case social mobility was not impossible, although it was uncommon).

Importance of social mobility

Upward social mobility is promoted by many contemporary societies through different methods, since It is considered a guarantee to build a more equitable and less unequal society. Some of these methods are the promotion of education and inclusion or job insertion policies.

The possibility of social advancement is considered essential to combat poverty and ensure that individuals from households with limited resources develop their capabilities and obtain a better quality of life. Some analysts consider that, in addition, the possibilities of social advancement reduce the influence of radicalized movements on the lower social strata. However, other authors propose that inequality and poverty cannot be combated only with measures that promote social mobility within the prevailing economic system (that is, capitalism).

Types of social mobility

There are various types of social mobility, depending on the criteria used to classify it. A first distinction is between horizontal mobility and vertical mobility:

• Horizontal mobility. It occurs within the same stratum or social class. It occurs when an individual or a group moves from one work, territorial, social, ideological, religious or political area to another without a change in status or social class.
• Vertical mobility. It occurs when an individual or group moves from one social class to another. It is due to a job, professional, economic or political change that implies a displacement, either upward (enrichment) or downward (impoverishment), on the socioeconomic scale.

Other social mobility classifications have to do with the following criteria:

• Generation. We speak of intergenerational social mobility when the displacement occurs from one generation to the next (for example, when the professional activity and standard of living of the child are different from those of the father); and intragenerational social mobility when the displacement takes place within the same generation (for example, when a person's professional activity and standard of living change throughout their active life).
• Statistics. A distinction is made between absolute social mobility, determined by changes in the social class structure as generations pass, which makes it possible to measure the change in the standard of living of an entire nation or region; and relative social mobility, determined by the opportunities of individuals from different social origins to achieve a given socioeconomic position.

Causes of social mobility

The main causes of upward social mobility are:

• Investment in education. People with higher levels of education can aspire to better jobs and can more easily renew their knowledge, so they have better opportunities to adapt to new environments.
• Technological change. New technologies create new types of employment, both employed and self-employed, which provides job opportunities to those who acquire the necessary qualifications and skills.
• Public policies. The implementation of inclusion or job insertion policies aimed at people with difficulties in obtaining formal jobs can help guarantee income and improve the living conditions of a family unit. In addition, the development of social welfare programs, family support and public access to health can raise the standard of living.
• Family planning. Intentional control of the number of children and care for reproductive health promote the well-being of the family group and contribute to socioeconomic planning, which can promote social mobility.
• Fight against discrimination. Policies that combat discrimination for ethnic, religious, social, gender, class reasons, among others, tend to facilitate social mobility by generalizing educational and employment opportunities. This is opposed to certain traditionalist or fundamentalist discourses that can hinder social mobility, for example in relation to the role of women in society.
• Migration. Migrations within the country (internal) and to other countries (external) can improve the socioeconomic status of some people, since by moving to places with better work or educational opportunities they can increase their quality of life.

Social mobility and poverty

Social mobility is related to poverty in various ways. Firstly, it can favor certain improvements in the economic situation of families living in poverty, and even allow them to abandon this social position thanks to educational and work opportunities or a more equitable distribution of resources.

For this same reason, Societies with low upward social mobility are those in which there are higher poverty rates since the lowest strata of society are unable to ascend socially and reproduce their precarious conditions intergenerationally.

On the other hand, social mobility can also be downward and cause the impoverishment of the middle classes, but such movements tend to be less frequent, characteristic of moments of crisis, and are often reversible.

Secondly, poverty generated by a situation of structural economic inequality can impose limits on social mobility, since the scarcity of resources is often accompanied by limited access to education, health (including reproductive health) and social networks. emotional support (social or family). These limitations, in turn, can put obstacles in the way of obtaining better job opportunities.

Finally, social mobility is linked to inequality, since The most egalitarian societies are those in which there is greater social mobility and a large middle class. On the other hand, societies with a more rigid social stratification tend to be more unequal, with practically unbridgeable distances between one class and the other.

Social mobility in Mexico

According to the Social mobility report in Mexico 2019 published by the Espinosa Yglesias Studies Center (CEEY), in Mexico 49 out of every 100 people who are born in the lowest strata of society remain in that position throughout their lives, and of the 51 people who do manage to ascend socially, 25 never exceed the poverty line.

All of this indicates that social mobility in Mexico is low, since of every 100 Mexicans who are born in poverty, 74 fail to leave it. On the other hand, of every 100 people in Mexico who are born into a rich home, 57 remain in that same stratum throughout their lives.

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References

• Bobbio, N., Matteucci, N. and Pasquino, G. (Dirs.). (2015). Politics Dictionary. 21st century.
• Heath, A. and Li, Y. (2024). Social Mobility. Polity.
• Orozco, M., Espinosa, R., Fonseca, C. and Vélez, R. (2019). Social mobility report in Mexico 2019. Espinosa Yglesias Study Center. https://ceey.org.mx/
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2023). Social mobility. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/