Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups within or between social strata, influenced by wealth, occupation, or education. It can be categorized into horizontal, vertical, inter-generational, and intra-generational mobility. Education plays a crucial role in facilitating upward mobility by boosting confidence and encouraging individuals to pursue new opportunities.

1. SOCIAL MOBILITY
SHAFEEK P, Assistant Professor in
Education, RMCTE

2. SOCIAL MOBILITY
It is the movement of individuals, families, households,
or other categories of people within or between strata
in a society

3. According to Mills, social mobility is the ability of individuals or
groups to move upward or downward in status based on
wealth, occupation, education, or some other social variable

4. Categories of social mobility
Horizontal mobility
Vertical Mobility
lnter-generation Mobility
Intra-generation mobility

5. Horizontal mobility
 Horizontal mobility: Social mobility is any change in social position. “it can
be vertical and horizontal in nature. Any change in the physical position of
a person or a group is horizontal mobility
 If a bank manager is transferred from one branch to another, It is
horizontal mobility as the social status of the person is not changing.

6. Vertical Mobility
 Vertical Mobility: Vertical mobility indicates the movement of an individual
from one social stratum to another level. The movement can be in a
downward or upward direction.
 By effort, a clerk becoming a university professor is an indicator of upward
mobility.
 A businessman faces a financial crisis and is forced to stop his business
and find a job in a company as a clerk is a downward mobility.

7. lnter-generation Mobility
lnter-generation Mobility: In this case, social mobility
occurs across generations. A farmer's son becomes a
doctor is an example

8. Intra-generation mobility
Intra-generation mobility: This indicates social mobility in the
lifespan of a single generation or individual. A person begins his
career as a pharmacist then turns to a doctor and later as
medical director of a hospital is intra-generation mobility.

9. Role of Education in social mobility
1. In many ways education plays a catalyst for mobility
2. It boosts the confidence to make upward mobility
3. It brings the courage to take up new challenging jobs