The concept of societal openness and closure refers to the degree to which a society allows interactions, influences, and mobility across its boundaries. No society can be completely open or completely closed; instead, societies fall along a spectrum, displaying varying levels of openness or closure. This dynamic interplay is influenced by historical, cultural, economic, and political factors that shape societal attitudes and policies regarding interaction with the outside world.
Studies of social mobility invariably leads one to the question of opennes and closeness of a society. Mobility is not possible if a society is rigid enough to allow any movement within its graded structure. On the other hand, mobility is facilitated if a society exhibits flexible character. Very little vertical mobility is possible in a closed society. Pre-modem Colombia and India more or less approximate such type. In contrast, an open society allows for greater vertical social mobility. However, even in open societies people cannot move from one stratum to another without resistance. Every society has established criteria - which might be proper manners, family lineage, education, or racial affiliation etc., which must satisfied before people can move to a higher social level.
Most open societies tend to be highly industrialised. As societies industrialize, new skills are demanded and occupations ere created that were pervasively unnecessary. New occupations mean more opportunities for a wide section of people. Additionally, urbanization contributes to vertical social mobility because ascriptive criteria become less important in the anonymity of the city. People become achievement oriented, competitive, and status-striving . In industrial societies, most often government also undertake welfare programmes which foster mobility.
What makes mobility a reality is a change in occupation structure, enlarging the range and propoflion of middle - and upper-level occupations while reducing the proportions of lower ones. Mobility created by changes in the occupational structure of the society is called structural mobility (sometimes also called forced mobility).
In modern industrial societies it is mainly the 'achievement' oriented criteria that determine upward mobility. Most modem societies are believed to be more 'open' to facilitate social mobility. Nevertheless, every society has its own criteria and mobility attempts are also resisted differently. Generally speaking all industrial societies exhibit a more or less similar degree of mobility.
Societal openness and closure are not absolute states but exist along a continuum, shaped by historical, cultural, economic, and political factors. Striking a balance between openness and closure is essential for societies to thrive, allowing for the exchange of ideas, economic growth, and preservation of cultural identity. The dynamics between these two aspects are crucial in understanding the complexities of societies and navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by a globalized world.
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