Social Mobility (Week 3)

Question 1

Functionalist View

What is the Definition of Social Mobility

Answer 1

• Moving from one social class to another
• Social mobility can be upwards or downwards

Question 2

Functionalist View

What is Inter-generational mobility?

Answer 2

The movement between generations. eg. the difference between a parent and their adult child’s occupational position.

Question 3

Functionalist View

What is Intra-generational mobility?

Answer 3

an individuals mobility over the course of their life. Comparing someone’s starting occupation with their occupation at retirement.

Question 4

Functionalist View

What is Human Capital?

Answer 4

The education, skills and knowledge an individual aquires that they can use to get ahead.

Question 5

Functionalist View

What is Meritocracy?

Answer 5

• Societies that have some social mobility = meritocracies
• No matter an individuals starting position they achieve the level in society that their talent and effort deserves
• education system is a bridge between family and economy.

Question 6

Functionalist View

Why Social mobility is necessary?

Answer 6

• Functionalists say it’s functionally necessary.
• People must be allowed to move up or fall down the occupational and social structure.
• ensures social positions are filled with most qualified.
• Upward mobility is earned through individual merit.
• All Social positions must be filled based on their knowledge and skills.

Question 7

What is the Functionalist View on social mobility in education?

Answer 7

• allows individuals to demonstrate their differences in objective ways.
• Rewards are earned/allocated through individual ability/effort in education
• Systems are competitive but based on equal opportunities.
• Meritocratic systems involve inequalities of outcome.

Question 8

Functionalist View

What does Inequalities of outcome mean?

Answer 8

• Schools develop it through testing/exams
• in a meritocratic system exams must be objective so everyone has equal opportunity to take and pass
• Because of role allocation - intellectually most able achieve work roles with highest rewards

Question 9

Functionalist View

What is Harris view on social mobility? (2005)

Answer 9

• social mobility develops out of the way people are encouraged to perform different roles
• Promise of higher level status represents necessary motivations and rewards
• Rewards lead to hierarchies this creates functionally necessary social inequalities.

Question 10

Functionalist View

What is Davis and Moore view on social mobility? (1948)

Answer 10

inequalities flow through social mobility represent ‘an unconsciously evolved device by which socities ensure the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified people.’

Question 11

Arguments against the functionalist view

Extent to which education systems are meritocratic today

Answer 11

• educational systems in modern industrial societies are not meritocratic.
• Some groups (working class, ethnic minorities) experience systematic disadvantage

Question 12

Arguments against the functionalist view

What do Bowles and Gintis say about social mobility?

Answer 12

• modern education systems are characterised by ‘sponsored mobility’.
• upper/middle class children enjoy cultural advantages over their working-class peers.
• Their progress from school to high-paid/high-status employment is sponsored by their parents.

Question 13

What is Social Capital?

Answer 13

The extent to which people are connected to social networks and how this can be used to the individuals advantage.

Question 14

Compare Consensus vs Conflict views

Answer 14

**Consensus (functionalists) **> see open competitive and meritocratic education systems as the most important source of social mobility in modern industrial societies.
Conflict (Marxists) > education is a means through which higher classes are able to cement their privileged social position. by making sure social inequality is reproduced through a system that appears fair but is biased.

Question 15

Arguments against functionalist view

What is Althusser’s view on social mobility?

Answer 15

• the reproduction of capitalism - new generations taught skills, knowledge and ideas required in the workplace.
• Schools select, allocate and differentiate children in the interests of society.
• role is to help working class achieve levels of education required to follow parents footsteps.
• Role of education = to educate most people ‘just enough’ to be useful employees - small number ‘more than enough’ to take high power working roles

Question 16

Arugments against functionalist view

What does Aldridge think about social mobility within education? (2004)

Answer 16

• a key feature of modern industrial societies is a lack of occupational mobility for those lower down the class structure.
• Marxists - what happens in the education system cannot be separated from demands of the economy.
• Education is a way of reproducing social inequalities found in the capitalist workplace.