Mobility refers to a movement, shift or change may be from one place to another or from one position to another. When social is prefixed along mobility, it gives the impression that a person(s) occupying a specific social position, moves/shifts to another position or status. With reference to the social ladder, the movement may be upward or downward, or it may be inter/intra-generational. If the society were viewed from a homogeneous perspective, the trends in social nobility would be static and quantifiable. However, social mobility is affected by some factors that are as a result of the diversity of the modern society we live in. Some of the factors that influence social mobility include race, gender, occupation, education, and race.
According to Collins (1971), the educational requirements for employment have become increasingly widespread. Most employers currently look for an educational background during recruitment. An individual’s level of education highly determines career growth, which is closely related to upward mobility. With reference to Petrilli (2017), students who can attain valid educational credentials are placed in a better position of making it into the middle class. It is for these reason(s) that as a college freshman, I believe my social mobility will be profoundly affected by my education level.
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Using the functional perspective, I will explain how education affects social mobility. According to functionalists, education lies in the list of a society’s most important social institution. They claim that education contributes two significant functions; primary or manifest which refer to the intended and visible education functions and secondary or latent which are the hidden/unintended functions of education.
Among the primary functions associated with education, socialization lies at the top. From preschool, students are taught how to practice various societal roles; this helps them learn how to get along with other people while preparing them for adult economic roles. Through socialization, students can learn society’s rules and norms as a whole. They are exposed at an early age to their dominant culture. Another primary function that students get to learn in school is social control; this enables them to conform to the law and respect authority (Sever, 2012). This knowledge prepares students to enter into workplaces or navigate the world as a whole where they will be subject to people who have authority over them. For upward mobility, education provides its partakers with social placement; this means that it is viewed as a vehicle for moving students closer to their careers, therefore, leading them to financial freedom and security. Education, thus, places individuals at an advantageous spot on the social ladder.
An important latent function of education according to the functionalists’ perspective, is that it boosts a person’s social networks, creating relationships that may last for years and help a person find a job, therefore, contributing to their upward mobility. Also, through education, people learn how to work with small groups, a skill that they can transfer to their workplaces boosting their working relationships. Functionalists also state that education encourages competition in students as they compete academically (Trumann, 2015). This competitive nature can help them later scale their way up at workplaces.
Education, however, creates a social problem for people living in poverty thresholds. Most of these people are unable to receive a quality education or even progress with further education. This leads to a high percentage of people falling into lifelong struggles, basically, the rich get richer, and the poor stay poor. Education represents a broader social order, when the society changes, education also changes. The elite and prestigious elementary schools, secondary and colleges are designed for people in the upper class of the society. Most of the policies in place for education focus on ensuring that every person has a chance to get educated. This, however, is not enough to provide upward social mobility. It is no longer sufficient that people are merely exposed to schooling, it is increasingly crucial that they learn. Learning compromises of having the necessary facilities, e.g., books, teachers, equality, etc. Policies to curb the social problem that is education should lean towards the provision of cheap quality education for everyone. Through education funding, the rate of student’s dropout from colleges could significantly reduce. The best social policy to ensure that everyone has an equal chance in education should include funding for college tuition fees to allow students refrain from debts and complete their courses in time.
Social problems weaken a society’s stability. They may or may not reflect fundamental faults in the structure of a society, but it is clear that solutions to these social problems should be identified to reduce the negative effect they present on mobility. Sociology takes the stand that most of the problems people go through stem from the society itself, so it would be sensible to state that the society itself has the solution to these problems. Education serves as a driver of social mobility; this is because of the numerous ways it impacts people who go through it. With proper social policies in place, the education problem in our society can be eradicated, and equality achieved.
References
Collins, R. (1971). Functional and Conflict Theories of Educational Stratification. American Sociological Review , 36 (6), 1002. doi:10.2307/2093761
Petrilli, M. J. (2017, October 13). Education is still a sturdy path to upward mobility | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from https://edexcellence.net/articles/education-is-still-a-sturdy-path-to-upward-mobility
Sever, M. (2012). A critical look at the theories of sociology of education. International Journal of Human Sciences , 9 (1), 1-22. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/DELL/Downloads/2212-6338-1-PB.pdf
Trueman, C. N. (2015, May 22). Functionalism and Education - History Learning Site. Retrieved from https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/sociology/education-and-sociology/functionalism-and-education/
