Essay on Social Mobility and Class Systems: A Comparative Study

This essay delves into the complexities of social mobility and class systems, analyzing the shift from stratified systems to those that permit mobility. It begins by defining class and stratified class systems, highlighting inequalities and the limited opportunities within them, particularly in the context of the United States. The essay then contrasts class stratification with the caste system, emphasizing the rigidity of the latter and the potential for social mobility in class-based societies. It argues that a class system encouraging mobility provides incentives for hard work, competition, and social change, benefiting individuals, especially those from lower classes, by offering opportunities for upward mobility and breaking the cycle of inequality. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of mobility in class systems for fostering equal opportunities and societal growth, making it a critical factor for development.

Running head: SOCIAL MOBILITY AND CLASS SYSTEM
Social Mobility and Class System
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1SOCIAL MOBILITY AND CLASS SYSTEM
The controversy over the relative merits of the material and moral incentives has
turned into one of the major battleground for the verbal war among and within the socialist
nations. Resolution of this important debate would decisively influence the course of
socialism each and everywhere for the effective systems of the incentives usually taps heavy
reservoirs of creative energy that might otherwise be completely get wasted. Through
governing the behaviour, incentives directly influence the rate of economic growth and with
the same, through governing the consciousness, they indirectly accelerate the emergence of
the socialist man. Hence, it can be said that incentives are the principal means of shaping the
fragment of the history under the impact of living men and is also one of the important index
to the moral, social and economic future of the socialist societies. This paper is going to
elaborate on the major incentives for a society that it get for shifting from a stratified class
system to a class system that permits mobility.
To start with the main subject of the essay, it is to state that, class refers to the power,
financial resources and education level that people have. The stratified class system refers to
the class system in which a society is divided into various different strata or layers based on
the factors such as occupation, wealth, income and education. There is a presence of cultural
and economic rift in between these different classes of the society. For example, In United
Sates, there are very opportunities that are been created equally for all the people living there.
People there do not have the access of same resources like best schools or best
neighbourhoods and the chances of life too are not same for everyone. Generally, there are
three classes in U.S and they are middle class, upper class and the working class. The people
who belong from the same class have similar types of jobs and similar levels of income.
Stratified class system results in inequality among the citizen. People who live within the
same level or strata are the members who are said to belong from the same social class. It is
very tough to experience a social mobility in between the strata, especially while moving

2SOCIAL MOBILITY AND CLASS SYSTEM
upwards, also known as upward mobility. Social mobility is found in several forms and
extents in two primary types of stratification and they are class stratification and caste
stratification. The caste system is constituted of the closed groups in which the status tends to
ascribed and not achieved. The system is imposed on an individual by the criteria of his or
her birth. The members belonging from one class are often not even allowed to stay in
contact or to have a close relation with the members who belong from some other caste. They
are also bounded by many restrictions based on marriage, food, social intercourse etc. Hence,
the members of a case system could not even dream of becoming a member of higher case or
any lower caste. It does not provide any scope to the individual for any kind of social
mobility. It is the only type of a rigid social stratification in which social mobility is denied to
individual. Furthermore, unlike caste system, the class system consists of rational group of
members and it is not rigid regarding restrictions of marriages, occupations, inter class, social
interactions or intra class circulations and social mobility. The social mobility in a class
system has its very own rule. However, it is also to state that in this modern age, social
mobility is getting introduced in many of the caste system, including that of in India and there
are certain studies that have verified this fact.
In a class system that encourages mobility, each and every individual enjoys and
celebrates equal rights and opportunities for improving his own status. Such exercises
introduce a sense of competition among the class members belonging from different classes
and hence, provide an incentive to hard work and improve or progress in the society (Savage
& Egerton, 2017). It also supports and encourages prosperity, advancement as well as social
change and this in turn is beneficial for majority of the members living in a society,
especially the ones who belong from lower class. It would allow them to grow further and not
to remain in the same category generation after generation by experiencing only the bad and
unequal opportunities. It also provides a sense of motivation for progressing and higher

3SOCIAL MOBILITY AND CLASS SYSTEM
attainments and makes the individuals to become active, dynamic and alert. With the same,
shifting from a stratified class system to a class system that permits mobility also keeps the
individuals fit to life in a competitive society.
Hence, to sum up, it can be said that mobility in class system is very important to
prevail in the class systems in order to avail the individual with equal opportunities and
chances to progress and improve further. It is great opportunity for the ones who belong from
the underprivileged backgrounds for breaking the boundary of their social classes. Therefore,
shifting to a class system that permits mobility from the ones that is stratified, is extremely
important for the ultimate growth and development of a society.

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References:
Savage, M., & Egerton, M. (2017). Social mobility, individual ability and the inheritance of
class inequality. Sociology, 31(4), 645-672.