Social Stratification — Sociology STD 11 Commerce / Arts — Question

1. Horizontal Mobility : It refers to change of residence or job without status change. Under this type of social mobility, a person changes one’s occupation but the overall social standing remains the same. Certain occupation like doctor, engineer and teacher may enjoy the same status but when an engineer changes one’s occupation from engineer to teaching engineering there is a horizontal shift from one occupational category to another but no change has taken place in the system of social stratification.

2. Vertical Mobility : Vertical mobility refers to any change in the occupational, economic, political status of an individual or a group which leads to change of their position. Vertical Mobility stands for change of social position, either upward or downward.

3. Intergenerational Mobility : This type of mobility means that one generation changes its social status in contrast to the previous generation. However, this mobility may be upward or downward. For e.g., people of lower caste or class may provide facilities to their children to get higher education, training and skills, with the help of which the younger generation may get employment in higher position.

4. Intragenerational Mobility : This type of mobility takes place in the lifespan of one generation. A person may start one’s career as a clerk and after acquiring more education, becomes an IFS Officer. Here the individual moves up and occupies a higher social position than previously.