Robin Burden answered
There are many factors that can affect social mobility - and anything from the following list can have an effect on someone's ability to move up or down the social ladder:
The causes of social mobility
Vertical social mobility (i.e. Going up or down in society) is influenced by many different things.
Education is often cited as a big factor in social mobility, and people who come from lower-class backgrounds often see schooling as a means to learn skills that will open up opportunities in later life.
However, education isn't always the 'fast-track' to social mobility that it is often viewed as. For starters, many colleges and universities charge exorbitant enrolment fees, and this can act to deter students from certain social classes.
The quality of a school can also increase the price of living in a certain area, which can then indirectly exclude some pupils from managing to progress socially via education.
Despite governments around the world trying to implement and promote racial/religious/ethnic equality, it's fair to say that someone's background can also still have a large impact on their prospects for social mobility.
As far as downward social mobility goes, economic woes and rising unemployment are major contributors to the growth of the lower social classes.
- Race/ethnicity/caste
- Gender
- Religious persuasion
- Occupation
- The area you live in
The causes of social mobility
Vertical social mobility (i.e. Going up or down in society) is influenced by many different things.
Education is often cited as a big factor in social mobility, and people who come from lower-class backgrounds often see schooling as a means to learn skills that will open up opportunities in later life.
However, education isn't always the 'fast-track' to social mobility that it is often viewed as. For starters, many colleges and universities charge exorbitant enrolment fees, and this can act to deter students from certain social classes.
The quality of a school can also increase the price of living in a certain area, which can then indirectly exclude some pupils from managing to progress socially via education.
Despite governments around the world trying to implement and promote racial/religious/ethnic equality, it's fair to say that someone's background can also still have a large impact on their prospects for social mobility.
As far as downward social mobility goes, economic woes and rising unemployment are major contributors to the growth of the lower social classes.
