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The authors consider the concept of social mobility. and classes in modern society. The concept and parameters of social mobility

social mobility is an opportunity to change social stratum.

social mobility- change by an individual or group of the place occupied in the social structure (social position), moving from one social stratum (class, group) to another (vertical mobility) or within the same social stratum (horizontal mobility)

Kinds:

Under the vertical social Mobility refers to those relationships that arise when an individual or a social object moves from one social stratum to another.

Horizontal mobility- this is the transition of an individual or a social object from one social position to another, lying on the same level, for example, the transition of an individual from one family to another, from one religious group to another, as well as a change of residence

Upward mobility- social uplift, upward movement (For example: promotion).

Downward mobility- social descent, downward movement (For example: demotion).

Individual mobility- this is when there is a movement down, up or horizontally in an individual independently of others.

group mobility- a process in which movements occur collectively. “It occurs there and then, where and when the social significance of an entire class, estate, caste, rank, category rises or falls”

Structural social mobility- a change in the social position of a significant number of people, mostly due to changes in society itself, and not individual efforts. It is caused by changes in the structure National economy and occurs in addition to the will and consciousness of individual individuals

Voluntary mobility it is mobility of one's own free will, and forced due to forced circumstances.

Intergenerational mobility assumes that children achieve a higher social position or descend to a lower rung than their parents

Intragenerational mobility- change in the social position of the individual throughout his life. (Social career)

Channels of social mobility there are ways called "stairs", "elevators", allowing people to move up and down the social hierarchy. " social lift- this is a way to give rise and help in occupying a more pleasant position in society.

For Pitirim Sorokin, such channels as the army, church, school, political, economic and professional organizations were of particular interest.

Army. Used as a vertical circulation channel in war time most. Large losses among the commanding staff make it possible for lower ranks to climb up the career ladder. lead to the filling of vacancies from lower ranks.

Church . It is the second channel, among the main ones. But at the same time, “the church performs this function only when its social significance increases. During periods of decline or at the beginning of the existence of a particular denomination, its role as a channel of social stratification is insignificant and insignificant” 1 .

School . “Institutions of education and upbringing, no matter what specific form they take, in all ages have been the means of vertical social circulation. In societies where schools are available to all its members, the school system is a "social elevator" moving from the very bottom of society to the very top" 2 .

government groups, political organizations and political parties as vertical circulation channels. In many countries there is an automatic promotion of officials over time, regardless of what position the person entered.

Professional organization as channel vertical circulation . Some of the organizations play a large role in the vertical movement of individuals. Such organizations are: scientific, literary, creative institutions. “The entrance to these organizations was relatively free for everyone who showed the appropriate abilities, regardless of their social status, then advancement within such institutions was accompanied by a general advancement up the social ladder” 3 .

Creation organizations material assets as channels of social circulation. The accumulation of wealth at all times led to the social advancement of people. Throughout history, there has been a close relationship between wealth and nobility. Forms of "enriched" organizations can be: land ownership, oil production, banditry, mining, etc.

Family and other channels of social circulation . Marriage (especially between representatives of different social statuses) can lead one of the partners to social advancement, or to social degradation. In democratic societies, we can observe how rich brides marry poor but titled grooms, thus one moves up the social ladder thanks to the title, and the other materially reinforces his titled status.

Task 2

Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Count d'Artagnan (fr. Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, comte d "Artagnan, 1611, Castelmore Castle, Gascony, France, - June 25, 1673, Maastricht, the Netherlands) - a Gascon nobleman who made a brilliant career under Louis XIV in the company of the royal musketeers.

1. Type of social mobility:

vertical mobility. Rising. Individual. Voluntary. (D'Artagnan made a career as a courier for Cardinal Mazarin in the years after the first Fronde => lieutenant of the French guard (1652) => captain (1655) => second lieutenant (i.e. deputy actual commander) in the recreated company of the royal musketeers (1658) = > lieutenant commander of the musketeers (1667) => position of governor of Lille (1667) => field marshal (major general) (1672).

horizontal mobility. Charles de Batz moved to Paris in the 1630s from Gascony.

2. Channel of social mobility - army

Factors that caused social mobility: personal qualities (high level of motivation, initiative, sociability), physical and mental abilities, migration process (moving to a large city), demographic factors (male gender, age of entry into service), social status of the family (D 'Artagnan was a descendant of counts on the maternal side, his father had a title of nobility, which he appropriated after marriage)

3. Charles de Batz achieved a new social status, a high standard of living

4. There was no cultural barrier, D-Artagnan was easily accepted into the new society, he was close to the king, respected both at court and in the army.

Louis XIV: "almost the only person who managed to make people love themselves without doing anything for them that would oblige them to do so"

1Sorokin P.A. Man. Civilization. Society. – M.: Politizdat, 1992.

2Sorokin P.A. Man. Civilization. Society. – M.: Politizdat, 1992.

3Sorokin P.A. Man. Civilization. Society. – M.: Politizdat, 1992.

II. The concept of social mobility. Intragenerational and intergenerational mobility.

social mobility- this is a set of social movements of people within the framework of the stratification of society, that is, a change in their social position, status. People move up and down the social hierarchy, sometimes in groups, less often in entire strata and classes.

According to the fluctuation theory of Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin (1889 - 1968), social mobility- this is the movement of individuals within the social space, which represents a certain universe, consisting of the population of the earth.

P. Sorokin distinguishes three forms of social stratification: economic, political and professional.

social stratification- this is the differentiation of a given set of people (population) into classes in a hierarchical rank. Its basis is the uneven distribution of rights and privileges, responsibilities and duties, power and influence. The totality of groups included in the social universe, as well as the totality of relations within each of them, constitute a system of social coordinates that makes it possible to determine social status any individual. Like geometric space, social space has several axes of measurement, the main ones being vertical and horizontal.

Horizontal mobility- the transition from one social group to another, located at the same level of stratification.

Vertical mobility- the transition from one stratum to another, located on different levels hierarchy. There are two types of such mobility: ascending- moving up the social ladder and descending- move down.

Main characteristics of social mobility

1. Social mobility is measured using two main indicators:

Mobility distance- this is the number of steps that individuals managed to climb or had to go down.

The normal distance is considered to be moving one or two steps up or down. Most social transitions happen this way.

Abnormal distance - an unexpected rise to the top of the social ladder or fall to its bottom.

Scope of mobility- this is the number of individuals who have moved up the social ladder in a vertical direction in a certain period of time. If the volume is calculated by the number of moved individuals, then it is called absolute and if the ratio of this number to the entire population, then relative and is indicated as a percentage. The total volume or scale of mobility, determines the number of movements over all strata together, and differentiated- by separate strata, layers, classes. For example, in an industrial society, 2/3 of the population is mobile - this fact refers to the total volume, and 37% of the children of workers who have become employees, to the differentiated volume.

The scale of social mobility is also defined as the percentage of those who have changed, in comparison with their fathers, their social status.

2. The change in mobility for individual layers is also described by two indicators:

The first one is to exit mobility coefficient from the social stratum. It shows, for example, how many sons of skilled workers became intellectuals or peasants.

Second entry mobility factor into the social stratum, it indicates from which strata this or that stratum is replenished. It reveals the social origin of people.

3. Mobility assessment criteria

When studying social mobility, sociologists pay attention to the following points:

Number and size of classes and status groups;

The amount of mobility of individuals and families from one group to another;

The degree of differentiation of social strata by types of behavior (lifestyle) and the level of class consciousness;

The type or amount of property owned by a person, occupation, as well as the values ​​that determine one or another status;

Distribution of power between classes and status groups.

Of the listed criteria, two are especially important: the amount (or amount) of mobility and the differentiation of status groups. They are used to distinguish one type of stratification from another.

4. Classification of social mobility

There are main and non-main types, types, forms of mobility.

Main species characterize all or most societies in any historical epoch. Of course, the intensity or volume of mobility is not the same everywhere. Non-main types of mobility are inherent in some types of society and are not inherent in others.

Social mobility can be classified according to different criteria. So, for example, one distinguishes individual mobility when moving down, up or horizontally occurs for each person independently of others, and group mobility, when movements occur collectively, for example, after a social revolution, the old class cedes dominant positions to the new class. Group mobility occurs where and when the social significance of an entire class, estate, caste, rank, or category rises or falls. Mobile individuals begin socialization in one class and end in another.

In addition to them, sometimes they distinguish organized mobility , when the movement of a person or entire groups up, down or horizontally is controlled by the state: a) with the consent of the people themselves, b) without their consent. Voluntary organized mobility should include the so-called socialist organization set, public appeals for Komsomol construction projects, etc. Involuntary organized mobility includes repatriation(resettlement) of small peoples and dispossession during the years of Stalinism.

It is necessary to distinguish from organized mobility structural mobility. It is caused by changes in the structure of the national economy and occurs against the will and consciousness of individual individuals. For example, the disappearance or reduction of industries or professions leads to the displacement of large masses of people.

There are two main kind social mobility intergenerational and intragenerational and two main type- vertical and horizontal. They, in turn, fall into subspecies and subtypes that are closely related to each other.

Intergenerational and intragenerational mobility

Generation is a concept denoting different aspects of related and age structures historical development of society. The theory of age stratification of society allows us to consider society as a set of age groups, and thus reflect age-related differences in abilities, role functions, rights and privileges. Mobility practically does not occur in the demographic sphere: moving from one age to another does not belong to the phenomenon of intergenerational mobility.

Intergenerational mobility implies that children reach a higher social position or fall to a lower level than their parents. Intergenerational mobility is a change in the position of sons relative to their fathers. For example, the son of a plumber becomes president of a corporation, or vice versa. Intergenerational mobility is the most important form of social mobility. Its scale indicates to what extent in this society inequality passes from one generation to the next.

If intergenerational mobility is low, then this means that inequality has taken root in this society, and a person’s chances to change his fate do not depend on himself, but are predetermined by birth. In the case of significant intergenerational mobility, people achieve a new status through their own efforts, regardless of the circumstances that accompanied their birth.

Intragenerational mobility takes place where the same individual, beyond comparison with the father, changes social positions several times throughout his life. Otherwise it is called social career. Example: a turner becomes an engineer, and then a shop manager, plant director, minister of the engineering industry.

The first type of mobility refers to long-term, and the second - to short-term processes. In the first case, sociologists are more interested in interclass mobility, and in the second, the movement from the sphere of physical labor to the sphere of mental labor.

II. Horizontal mobility.

Migration, emigration, immigration.

Horizontal mobility implies the transition of an individual from one social group to another, located at the same level. An example is the movement from an Orthodox to a Catholic religious group, from one citizenship to another, from one family (parental) to another (one's own, newly formed), from one profession to another. Such movements occur without a noticeable change in social position in the vertical direction. Horizontal mobility implies a change by a person during his life from one status to another, which are approximately equivalent.

A form of horizontal mobility is geographical mobility. It does not imply a change in status or group, but a movement from one place to another while maintaining the same status. An example is international and interregional tourism, moving from a city to a village and back, moving from one enterprise to another. If a change of status is added to a change of place, then geographic mobility becomes migration. If a villager comes to the city to visit relatives, then this is geographic mobility. If he moved to the city for permanent residence and found a job here, then this is migration. He changed his profession.

Migration are territorial movements. They are seasonal, i.e. depending on the season (tourism, treatment, study, agricultural work), and pendulum- regular movement from this point and return to it. Essentially, both types of migration are temporary and return. Migration is the movement of people within one country.

SOCIAL MOBILITY - the ability of an individual, a social group to change their place in the social structure of society. In essence, these are all movements of the individual, family, social group in the system of social ties. People are in constant motion, and society is in development; therefore, one of the important mechanisms of social stratification is social mobility. For the first time M.'s theory of page. was developed and introduced into scientific circulation by the famous Russian sociologist P. A. Sorokin.

There are two main types of M. with. - intergenerational and intragenerational, as well as two main types - vertical and horizontal. They fall into subspecies and subtypes that are closely related to each other. Intergenerational mobility implies that children achieve a higher social position or fall to a lower level than their parents. For example, the son of a worker becomes an engineer. Intragenerational mobility takes place where the same individual changes social positions throughout his life. Otherwise, it is called a social career. For example, a turner becomes an engineer, then a shop manager, a factory director, and so on. Vertical mobility implies moving from one stratum (estate, class, caste) to another. At birth, a person receives the social status of his parents. However, during the active period of his activity, a person may not be satisfied with his position in this social stratum and achieve more. If its status is changed to a higher one, then upward mobility takes place. However, as a result of life's cataclysms (loss of work, illness, etc.), he can move to a lower status group. In this case, downward mobility is triggered. These are all varieties of vertical mobility.

Horizontal mobility is the transition of an individual or social group from one social position to another, located at the same social level. An example would be the transition from one profession to another, in which there is no significant change in social status. Geographical mobility is a variation of horizontal mobility. It implies a simple movement from one place to another while maintaining the same status. However, if a change of status is added to a change of place, then geographic mobility turns into population migration. Group mobility occurs where and when the social significance of an entire class, estate, caste, rank, or category rises or falls. According to P.A. Sorokin, the following factors served as the causes of group mobility: social revolutions; foreign interventions, invasions; interstate and civil wars; military coups and change political regimes; replacing the old constitution with a new one; peasant uprisings; internecine struggle of aristocratic families; creation of an empire. Individual mobility occurs when moving down, up or horizontally occurs in an individual independently of others.

Mobility can also be voluntary and forced, structural and organized. Distinguished by spheres public life mobility can be economic, political, professional, religious, etc. Changes in the class structure of society are the result of mobility: interclass and intraclass (declassing, marginalization, lumpenization). Mobility channels, or institutions (according to P. Sorokin): army, school, church, marriage, property. Sometimes they are called elevators. Mobility differs between open and closed societies. Closed societies - caste, slave. Open - industrial (bourgeois). Semi-closed - feudal. In a closed society, mobility is sharply limited, in an open society - high degree mobility.

Social mobility is associated with the presence in society of objective and subjective conditions for the life of an individual or a social group, presenting them with the opportunity to change their social position or status, that is, in other words, it is the movement of individuals or groups in social space.

Before proceeding to consider the processes of social mobility, we list some of the factors leading to the stratification of society. Miscellaneous aspects and layering elements have different time periods of action, so the time factor plays a certain role here. Interaction with other cultures also acts as a stimulus for stratification changes. Of no less importance are the processes of urbanization, as well as the factors of social disintegration.
The mechanisms of stratification in society manifest themselves at two levels: non-institutional and institutional. At the non-institutional level, these changes are expressed in everyday life, in social psychology, and behavioral acts. At the institutional level, such changes are fixed in various social institutions. On the one hand, social groups seek to distinguish themselves as social entities, to maintain their social status. But on the other hand, tendencies are being revealed that lead to a loosening of the existing situation. It is then that the mechanism of social mobility manifests itself.

Exist different types social mobility (intergenerational, intragenerational, professional, etc.), which in general can be reduced to two manifestations (types) - vertical and horizontal mobility.

Vertical mobility is associated with the movement of an individual or group in the system of social hierarchy, including a change in social status. Vertical mobility can be upward or downward. If the status of a person or social group is changed to a higher, more prestigious one, then upward mobility can be stated. Accordingly, the transition to a lower status means downward mobility.

Horizontal mobility is expressed in the movement of an individual or group in a social structure without changing social status.

Horizontal movements are made up of natural and territorial types of mobility (for example, moving from city to city).
.
Social mobility can be individual and group. Group mobility takes place where the social significance of a class, social group, or stratum rises or falls. Among the causes of group mobility are social revolutions, invasions, wars, change of political regimes, replacement of the old constitution with a new one, etc., that is, the system of stratification itself is changing. Sociologists refer to the factors of individual mobility the social status of the family, the level of education received, nationality, abilities, external data, place of residence, advantageous marriage.

In addition, mobility can be organized (managed, for example, by the state, and with the consent of people and without their consent (repatriation of small peoples, dispossession, etc.). At the same time, structural mobility is distinguished, which differs from organized mobility, since it is caused by a change in structure economic activity society.

Social mobility is measured using indicators such as mobility distance (shows how many steps up or down the social ladder has moved), mobility volume (number of individuals who were included in vertical mobility).

Changes in mobility by strata take into account such indicators as the coefficient of mobility of exit from the social stratum, the coefficient of mobility of entry into the social stratum.

Horizontal and vertical mobility is influenced by demographic factors: gender, age, birth rate, death rate, population density.

One of full descriptions vertical mobility channels was proposed by P. Sorokin (“vertical circulation channels”). Among them are various social institutions facilitating the movement of an individual from one layer to another: the army, church, school, property, family and marriage.

However, in society, the transition of individuals from one social group to another can not always occur without hindrance. M. Weber described such a phenomenon as a social clause - the closure of a group in itself. This phenomenon characterizes the stabilization of social life, the transition from an early to a mature stage of development, an increase in the role of attributed status and a decrease in the role of achieved.

The system of redistribution of power, wealth, etc. can be based on a fixed rule-making basis. In this case, there is a stratification at the institutional level. “At the institutional level of layer formation, the social structure is fixed, i.e., the correlation of a person with one or another category of property, official and other rights and, depending on this, with specific benefits and duties” . Here, those social mechanisms begin to operate that introduce the processes of layer formation into a codified channel.

Legislative legal bodies codify the norms of interaction between various social groups, balance the interests of variable layers on the basis of common social interests.

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    Social stratification and social mobility

    50 Social mobility

    3.1 Social stratification and mobility 📚 USE in SOCIAL STUDIES

    Social sphere: Social mobility and social lifts. Foxford Online Learning Center

    Alexander Filippov - Social mobility

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scientific definition

social mobility- change by an individual or group of the place occupied in the social structure (social position), moving from one social stratum (class, group) to another (vertical mobility) or within the same social stratum (horizontal mobility). Sharply limited in a caste and estate society, social mobility increases significantly in an industrial society.

Horizontal mobility

Horizontal mobility- the transition of an individual from one social group to another, located at the same level (example: transition to another religious community, change of citizenship). Distinguish between individual mobility - the movement of one person independently of others, and group mobility - the movement occurs collectively. In addition, geographical mobility is distinguished - moving from one place to another while maintaining the same status (example: international and interregional tourism, moving from city to village and back). As a kind of geographical mobility, the concept of migration is distinguished - moving from one place to another with a change in status (example: a person moved to a city for permanent residence and changed his profession).

Vertical mobility

Vertical mobility- the promotion of an individual up or down the career ladder.

  • Upward mobility- social uplift, upward movement (For example: promotion).
  • Downward mobility- social descent, downward movement (For example: demotion).

social lift

social lift- a concept similar to vertical mobility, but more often used in the modern context of discussing the theory of elites as one of the means of rotation of the ruling elite or, in a broader context, a change of position in the social hierarchy, and not in the official one. A more rigid definition of rotation, reminiscent of the fact that social elevators work in both directions, is the concept of the wheel of fortune.

Generational mobility

Intergenerational mobility is a comparative change in social status among different generations (example: the son of a worker becomes president).

Intragenerational mobility (social career) - a change in status within one generation (example: a turner becomes an engineer, then a shop manager, then a factory director). Vertical and horizontal mobility are influenced by gender, age, birth rate, death rate, population density. In general, men and young people are more mobile than women and the elderly. Overpopulated countries are more likely to experience the consequences of emigration (relocation from one country to another for economic, political, personal reasons) than immigration (moving to a region for permanent or temporary residence of citizens from another region). Where the birth rate is high, the population is younger and therefore more mobile, and vice versa.

The theory of social mobility by Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin

group mobility

You can make a career alone or in a group. There is individual and group mobility. When there are collective (caste, estate, racial, etc.) privileges or restrictions on mobility, then members of the lower groups may try to organize a rebellion in order to achieve the removal of these restrictions and, as a group, climb up the rungs of the social ladder. Examples of group mobility:

  • In ancient India, the varna of the brahmins (priests) achieved superiority over the varna of the kshatriyas (warriors). This is an example of collective ascent.
  • The Bolsheviks before the October Revolution were insignificant, after it they all rose together to the status that the tsarist aristocracy used to hold. This is an example of collective ascent.
  • The social status of the Roman Pope and bishops has declined over the past three centuries. This is an example of a collective descent.

Mobile and immobile types of societies.

In a mobile type of society, the degree of vertical mobility is very high, and in a fixed type of society, it is very small. An example of the second kind is the caste system in India, although the degree of vertical mobility is never 0, even in ancient India. The degree of vertical mobility should be limited. On each "floor" there must be a "sieve" that sifts through individuals, otherwise people who are unsuitable for this role may turn out to be in leadership positions, and the whole society may die because of this during the war or as a result of the lack of reforms. The degree of vertical mobility can be measured, for example, by the proportion of "upstarts" among rulers and senior officials, calculated as a percentage. These "upstarts" began their careers from among the poor and ended up as rulers. Sorokin showed the difference between countries (according to the last three data, of course, until the second half of the 20th century) in terms of the degree of vertical mobility:

  • Western Roman Empire - 45.6%
  • Eastern Roman Empire − 27.7%
  • Russia before the October Revolution - 5.5%
  • USA - 48.3%

Sieve testing

In any society, there are many who want to move up, but few succeed in achieving this goal, since this is prevented by the "sieves" on each level of the social hierarchy. When a person comes to get a job, he is evaluated according to several criteria:

  • family background. A good family is able to give its child a good heredity and good level education. In practice, this criterion was applied in Sparta, Ancient Rome, Assyria, Egypt, Ancient India and China, where the son inherited the status and profession of his father. The modern family is unstable, therefore, today the norm is beginning to take shape to evaluate a person not by family origin, but by personal qualities. Even Peter I in Russia introduced a table of ranks, according to which promotion did not depend on "breed", but on personal merits.
  • The level of education. The function of the school is not only to “inject” knowledge, but also to determine, with the help of examinations and observations, who is talented and who is not, in order to weed out the latter. If the school tests the intellect of students, then the church tests moral qualities. Heretics and pagans were not allowed to positions of responsibility.

Professional organizations double-check the conformity of a person's abilities with an entry in a diploma of education, they test the specific qualities of people: voice for a singer, strength for a wrestler, etc. At work, every day and every hour becomes an exam for professional suitability for a person. This test can be considered final.

What leads to overproduction or underproduction of the elite?

There is an optimal ratio between the number of people in the elite and the total population. An overproduction of the number of people in the elite leads to a civil war or revolution. For example, the sultan in Turkey had a large harem and many sons who ruthlessly began to destroy each other after the death of the sultan in the struggle for the throne. Overproduction of the elite modern society leads to the fact that the losers from the elite begin to organize underground organizations in order to organize an armed seizure of power.

The underproduction of the elite due to the low birth rate among the upper strata leads to the need to give some of the elite positions to people who have not passed the selection. This causes social instability and deep contradictions within the elite between "degenerates" and "upstarts". Too strict control in the selection of the elite often leads to a complete stop of the “elevators”, to the degeneration of the elite and to the “subversive” activity of low-ranking rulers by vocation, who cannot make a legal career and seek to physically destroy the “degenerates” and take their elite positions.

List of social mobility elevators

The choice of the elevator (channel) of social mobility has great importance when choosing a profession and when recruiting personnel. Sorokin named eight elevators of vertical mobility, which people move up or down the steps of the social ladder in the course of their personal career:

  • Army. 36 Roman emperors (Julius Caesar, Octavian August, etc.) out of 92 reached their position thanks to military service. 12 Byzantine emperors out of 65 achieved their status for the same reason.
  • Religious organizations. The significance of this lift reached its apogee in the Middle Ages, when the bishop was also a landlord, when the Pope of Rome could dismiss kings and emperors, for example, Gregory VII  (Pope of Rome) in 1077 deposed, humiliated and excommunicated the Emperor Holy Roman Empire Henry IV. Of the 144 popes, 28 were of simple origin, 27 came from the middle classes. The institution of celibacy forbade Catholic priests to marry and have children, therefore, after their death, new people occupied the vacant positions, which prevented the formation of a hereditary oligarchy and accelerated the process of vertical mobility. The Prophet Muhammad was at first a simple merchant, and then became the ruler of Arabia.
  • School and scientific organizations. In ancient China, the school was the main elevator in society. According to the recommendations of Confucius, a system of educational selection (selection) was built. Schools were open to all classes, the best students were transferred to higher schools and then to universities, from there the best students got into the government and to the highest state and military posts. There was no hereditary aristocracy. The Mandarin government in China was a government of intellectuals who knew how to write literary compositions, but did not understand business and did not know how to fight, so China more than once became an easy prey for nomads (Mongols and Manchus) and European colonizers. In modern society, business and politics should be the main elevators. The school elevator was also of great importance in Turkey under Suleiman the Magnificent (1522-1566), when talented children from all over the country were sent to special schools, then to the Janissary corps, and then to the guards and the state apparatus. AT ancient india the lower castes had no right to education, that is, the school elevator moved only along upper floors. Today in the United States, one cannot hold a public office without a university degree. Of the 829 British geniuses, 71 were the sons of unskilled workers. 4% of Russian academicians came from peasants, for example, Lomonosov Trimalchio, Pallady, Narcissus. King Jugurtha of Numidia, by bribing officials of Rome, sought the support of Rome in his struggle for the throne at the end of the 2nd century. BC e. Expelled eventually from Rome, he called the "eternal" city a corrupt city. R. Gretton wrote about the rise of the English bourgeoisie: destroyed and ruined each other, the middle class went uphill, accumulating wealth. As a result, the nation once woke up, seeing new masters. Middle class for money bought all the desired titles and privileges.
  • Family and marriage. According to ancient Roman law, if a free woman married a slave, then her children became slaves, the son of a slave and a free man became a slave. Today, there is an "attraction" of rich brides and poor aristocrats, when in the event of marriage, both partners receive mutual benefit: the bride receives the title, and the groom - wealth.

Ticket 10. Social mobility: concept, types, channels

concept "social mobility" introduced by P. Sorokin. He believed that society is a huge social space in which people move both in reality and conditionally, in the opinion of others and their own.

social mobility is a change by an individual or a group of its position in the social space. According to the directions of social movements, vertical and horizontal social mobility are distinguished.

    Vertical mobility- social displacement, which is accompanied by an increase or decrease in social status.

    Moving to a higher social position is called upward mobility, and on the lower downward mobility.

    Horizontal mobility- social displacement, not associated with a change in social status, - transfer to another place of work in the same position, change of residence. If social status changes when moving, then geographic mobility turns into migration.

By types of mobility sociologists distinguish between intergenerational and intragenerational. Intergenerational mobility change in social status between generations. Intragenerational mobility connected with social career,, which means a change in status within one generation.

In accordance with the change by the individual of his social position in society, they distinguish two forms of mobility: group and individual. group mobility- movements are made collectively, and entire classes, social strata change their status. (It happens during periods of fundamental changes in society - social revolutions, civil or interstate wars, military coups). Individual mobility means the social displacement of a particular person.

Channels of social mobility may perform: school, education, family, professional organizations, army, political parties and organizations, church. Of course, in modern society, education is of particular importance, the institutions of which perform the function of a kind of "social lift" providing vertical mobility. social lift is a mechanism for raising (or lowering) social status.

At the same time, it should be noted that the processes of social mobility can be accompanied by the marginalization and lumpenization of society. Under marginality is understood as an intermediate, "borderline" state social subject.Marginal when moving from one social group to another, he retains the old system of values, connections, habits and cannot learn new ones (migrants, the unemployed). lumpen, trying in the process of social mobility to move from old group into a new one, turns out to be generally outside the group, breaks social ties and eventually loses the main human qualities- the ability to work and the need for it (the poor, the homeless).

The concept and types of social mobility

Cause Analysis social inequality always entails the question of whether the individual himself can achieve an increase in his social status and join the composition of a social stratum located above his own on the scale of wealth and prestige. In modern society, it is generally accepted that the starting opportunities for all people are equal and the individual will certainly succeed if he makes the appropriate efforts and acts purposefully. Often this idea is illustrated by examples of the dizzying careers of millionaires who started from nothing, and shepherdesses who turned into movie stars.

social mobility called the movement of individuals in the system of social stratification from one layer to another. There are at least two main reasons for the existence of social mobility in society. First, societies change and social change modify the division of labor, creating new statuses and undermining the old ones. Second, although the elite may monopolize educational opportunities, it is unable to control the natural distribution of talent and ability, so the upper strata are inevitably replenished by talented people from the lower strata.

Social mobility comes in many forms:

vertical mobility- a change in the position of the individual, which causes an increase or decrease in his social status. For example, if an auto mechanic becomes the director of a car service, this is an indication of upward mobility, but if an auto mechanic becomes a scavenger, such a movement will be an indicator of downward mobility;

horizontal mobility- a change in position that does not lead to an increase or decrease in social status.

A form of horizontal mobility is geographical mobility.

It does not imply a change in status or group, but a movement from one place to another while maintaining the same status. An example is international and interregional tourism, moving from a city to a village and back, moving from one enterprise to another.

If a change of status is added to a change of place, then geographic mobility becomes migration. If a villager comes to the city to visit relatives, then this is geographic mobility. If he moved to the city for permanent residence and got a job here, then this is migration.

intergenerational(intergeneration) mobility - is revealed by comparing the social status of parents and their children at a certain point in the career of both (according to the rank of their profession at approximately the same age).

intragenerational(intragenerational) mobility - involves a comparison of the social status of the individual for a long time.

Classification of social mobility can be carried out according to other criteria. So, for example, one distinguishes individual mobility, when movements down, up or horizontally occur in an individual independently of others, and group mobility, when movements occur collectively, for example, after a social revolution, the old ruling class cedes its positions to the new ruling class.

On other grounds, mobility can be classified, say, into spontaneous or organized. An example of spontaneous mobility can be movements for the purpose of earning residents of the near abroad in big cities Russia. Organized mobility (moving a person or entire groups up, down or horizontally) is controlled by the state. As P. Sorokin showed on a huge historical material, the following factors acted as the causes of group mobility:

social revolutions;

Foreign interventions, invasions;

Interstate wars;

Civil wars;

military coups;

Change of political regimes;

Replacing the old constitution with a new one;

Peasant uprisings;

Internecine struggle of aristocratic families;

Creation of an empire.

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The concept and parameters of social mobility

The concept of " social mobility» introduced into science by P.A. Sorokin. According to him, “social mobility is understood as any transition of an individual, or a social object, or a value created or modified through activity, from one social position to another.” In social mobility P.A. Sorokin included:

Movement of individuals from one social group to another;

The disappearance of some and the emergence of other social groups;

The disappearance of a whole set of groups and complete replacement her other.

Cause of social mobility P.A. Sorokin saw the implementation in society of the principle of distribution of benefits in proportion to the merits of each of its members, because even partial implementation of this principle leads to increased social mobility and renewal of the composition of the higher strata. Otherwise, these strata accumulate over time a large number of lethargic, incapable people, and in low strata, on the contrary, talented ones. This is how fuel is created in social relations material in the form of discontent and protest in the low strata, which can lead to revolution. To prevent this from happening, society must abandon rigid social structure, carry out social mobility constantly and in a timely manner, improve and control it.

Factors affecting social mobility:

The level of economic development (for example, during a period of economic depression - downward mobility);

Historical type of stratification (class and caste societies limit social mobility);

Demographic factors (gender, age, birth rate, death rate, population density). Overpopulated countries are more likely to experience the effects of emigration than immigration; where the birth rate is high, the population is younger and therefore more mobile, and vice versa.

Indicators (parameters) of social mobility.

Social mobility is measured by two main indicators:

distance

volume.

Mobility distance- the number of steps that individuals managed to climb or had to descend. normal distance moving one or two steps up or down is considered. abnormal distance- an unexpected rise to the top of the social ladder or a fall to its base.

The scope of mobility called the number of individuals who have moved up the social ladder in a vertical direction in a certain period of time. If the volume is calculated by the number of moved individuals, then it is called absolute, and if the ratio of this number to the entire population, then - relative and is indicated as a percentage.

So, social mobility- this is the movement of an individual or a social group from one social stratum to another, or within a social stratum, a change in the place of a particular social subject in the social structure.

Types of social mobility

Exist two main types of social mobility:

Intergenerational

Intragenerational

and two main types:

vertical

Horizontal.

They, in turn, fall into subspecies and subtypes that are closely related to each other.

Intergenerational mobility- when children reach a higher social position or fall to a lower level than their parents.

Intragenerational mobility- the same individual changes social positions several times throughout his life. Otherwise it is called a social career.

Vertical mobility is the movement of an individual or social group from one stratum to another, while there is a change in social status. Depending on the direction of movement highlight the following types of vertical mobility:

Rising (social rise);

Descending (social descent).

There is a certain asymmetry between ascent and descent: everyone wants to go up and no one wants to go down the social ladder. As a rule, ascent is a voluntary phenomenon, while descent is forced.

Channels of vertical mobility.

According to P.A. Sorokin, in any society between the strata there are channels("elevators"), on which individuals move up and down. Of particular interest are social institutions - army, church, school, family, property, which are used as channels of social mobility.

Army functions most intensively as such a channel in wartime. Large losses among the command staff lead to the filling of vacancies from lower ranks.

Church moved a large number of people from the bottom to the top of society, and vice versa. The institute of celibacy obliged the Catholic clergy not to have children. Therefore, after the death of officials, the vacant positions were filled with new people. At the same time, thousands of heretics were put on trial, destroyed, among them were many kings, aristocrats.

School: the institution of education at all times served as a powerful channel of social mobility, because education has always been valued educated people had a high status.

Own manifests itself most clearly in the form of accumulated wealth and money, which is one of the simplest and most effective ways social promotion.

Family and marriage become a channel of vertical mobility in the event that representatives of different social statuses enter the union.

Horizontal mobility- this is the transition of an individual or a social group from one social group to another, located at the same level, i.e. without changing social status.

A kind of horizontal mobility is an geographical mobility. It does not imply a change in status or group, but a movement from one place to another while maintaining the same status. An example is tourism, moving from a city to a village and back, moving from one enterprise to another.

If a change of status is added to a change of place, then geographic mobility turns into migration.

Also distinguish individual and group mobility.

Individual mobility- moving down, up or horizontally occurs for each person independently of others.

To factors of individual mobility, those. reasons that allow one person to achieve greater success than another include: the social status of the family; the level of education received; nationality; physical and mental abilities; external data; received upbringing; location; profitable marriage.

group mobility- Movements happen collectively. For example, after a revolution, the old class cedes its dominant position to the new class. According to P.A. Sorokin reasons for group mobility the following factors serve: social revolutions; foreign interventions; invasions; interstate wars; civil wars; military coups; change of political regimes, etc.

It is also possible to highlight organized and structural mobility.

Organized mobility occurs when the movement of an individual or social group up, down or horizontally is controlled by the state. This process can take place with the consent of the people themselves (for example, public calls for Komsomol construction projects) and without their consent (resettlement of small peoples, dispossession).

Structural mobility It is caused by changes in the structure of the national economy and occurs against the will and consciousness of individual individuals. For example, the disappearance or reduction of industries or professions leads to the displacement of large masses of people employed in them.

During the mobility process, a state may arise marginality. This is a special sociological term for a borderline, transitional, structurally indefinite social state of the subject. people, by different reasons out of the ordinary social environment and unable to join new communities (often due to cultural inconsistencies), experiencing great psychological stress and experiencing a kind of crisis of self-consciousness, are called outcasts. Among marginals there can be ethnomarginals, biomarginals, economic marginals, religious marginals.

The process of migration in society

Migration is the process of changing the permanent place of residence of individuals or social groups, expressed in moving to another region, geographical area or another country.

The migration process is closely related to both horizontal and vertical mobility, since each migrating individual seeks to find in a new place the best economic, political or social conditions existence.

Migration mechanism. In order for people to want to change their habitual place of residence, conditions are necessary that force them to do so. These conditions are usually divided into three main groups:

extrusion

Attraction

Migration paths.

extrusion associated with the difficult conditions of existence of the individual in his native places. The expulsion of large masses of people is associated with serious social upheavals ( ethnic conflicts, wars), economic crises, natural disasters(earthquakes, floods). With individual migration, failure in a career, the death of relatives, and loneliness can serve as a buoyant force.

Attraction- a set of attractive features or conditions for living in other places (higher wages, the opportunity to occupy a higher social status, greater political stability).

Migration paths is a characteristic of the direct movement of a migrant from one geographical location to another. Migration routes include the accessibility of a migrant, his luggage and family to another region; the presence or absence of barriers on the way; information to help overcome financial obstacles.

Distinguish international(moving from one state to another) and internal(moving within one country) migration.

Emigration- traveling outside the country . Immigration- entry into the country.

seasonal migration- depends on the season (tourism, study, agricultural work).

pendulum migration- regular movement from this point and return to it.

Migration is considered normal up to certain limits. In the event that the number of migrants exceeds a certain level, saying that migration becomes redundant. Excessive migration can lead to a change in the demographic composition of the region (departure of young people and the “aging” of the population; the predominance of men or women in the region), to a shortage or excess work force, to the uncontrolled growth of cities, etc.

Literature

Volkov Yu.G., Dobrenkov V.I., Nechipurenko V.N., Popov A.V.

Sociology: textbook / ed. prof.

SOUTH. Volkov. – M.: Gardariki, 2007.- Ch. 6.

Kravchenko A.I. Sociology: a textbook for universities. - M., 2003. - Ch. eleven.

Raduev V.V., Shkaratan O.I. Social stratification: tutorial. M., 1996.

Radugin A. A., Radugin K. A. Sociology: a course of lectures. M., 1996. - Topic 8.

Smelzer N. Sociology. M., 1994. - Ch. nine.

Frolov S.S. Sociology: textbook. - M.: Gardariki, 2006. - Ch.17.

Test tasks on the topic "Social mobility"

1. Social mobility is:

1. change by a person of the place of his permanent residence

2. change value orientations personalities

3. change in the social status of an individual or group

4. expansion of professional and general cultural horizons

2. The main types of social mobility are:

1. vertical and horizontal

2. intergenerational and intragenerational

3. ascending and descending

4. individual and group

3. Geographic mobility turns into migration when:

1. a person moves from one place to another, while maintaining his social status

2. a person moves from one place to another, while changing his social status

3. person moves from one nationality to another

4. a person temporarily moves from one socio-geographical zone to another

4. An example of downward social mobility can be considered:

1. promotion

2. change of religion

3. dismissal due to redundancy

4. change of profession

5. Social career should be understood as:

1. increasing the social status of representatives of subsequent generations in comparison with the status of the current

2. achievement of a higher social position by an individual compared to parents

3. change by the individual, beyond comparison with the father, several times during the life of their social positions

4. change by the individual of his position in the social and professional structure

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