What is social mobility? Critically examine the classification of ‘closed” and ‘open’ models of social stratification. 10 Marks (UPSC CSE Mains 2024 - Sociology, Paper 1).
Social stratification is a form of social inequality in which social groups are ranked one above the others in terms of power, prestige and wealth. Members of each stratum develops their own sub-culture ie certain norms, attitudes, and values which are distinctive to them as a social group. For example, members of lowest stratum develops fatalist attitude towards life. They rely on luck and fate, rather than individual efforts as shaping life Members of same social group have a consciousness of kind, a feeling of kinship, a sense of group identity. A person’s position in stratification system affects his/her life chances. Life chances refer to chances of obtaining those defined as desirable and avoiding those things defined as undesirable in his society.
Stratification system can be of two types based on social mobility- closed and open
In open system, the norms prescribe and encourage mobility. There are independent principles of ranking like status, class and power. Individuals are assigned to different positions in the social structure on the basis of their merit or achievement. The system is characterized by occupational diversity, flexible hierarchy, and rapidity of change. The hold of ascription-based groups like caste, kinship or family is insignificant. Modern societies are example of open systems
In a closed system, individuals are assigned their place in the social structure on the basis of ascriptive criteria like age, birth, sex. This system emphasizes the associative character of the hierarchy. It justifies the inequality in the distribution of wealth, status and power and discourages or even suppresses any attempt to change it. Ancient India was an example of closed system where people practiced social closure.
Criticisms
- Most societies fall somewhere between these extremes, exhibiting elements of both models
- Even ‘open’ systems may have hidden barriers to mobility (e.g., institutional racism, glass ceilings)
- Factors like social capital (Coleman) and cultural capital (Bourdieu) influence mobility beyond formal structures
- Intersectionality theory highlights how multiple factors (race, gender, class) interact to affect mobility
Hence while the closed/open dichotomy provides a useful framework, a more nuanced approach is needed to fully grasp the complexities of social mobility across different societal contexts.
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