Social mobility

Movement between social positions, such as movement from a working-class to a middle-class occupation.

Movement between social positions, such as movement into a higher social class.

Three important functions are serving the economy, facilitating social mobility and fostering social cohesion. Education can prepare people for employment, provide qualifications that open opportunities, and help people live together. Functionalists emphasise these benefits.

Movement between positions in a society’s system of stratification, such as movement from a working-class to a middle-class position.

Develop the New Right criticism: explain how rising living standards and opportunities for social mobility challenge Marx’s predictions, then consider whether they remove class inequality.

Movement up or down the social hierarchy, either within a person's lifetime or between generations.

Movement between positions in a social hierarchy, especially movement between social classes.

Movement between positions in society’s system of stratification, such as movement from a working-class background into a higher social class.

Movement between positions in the social class structure.

Education can then enable social mobility, as someone from a disadvantaged background gains qualifications and moves into a higher social class.

Movement between positions in society's social hierarchy, such as movement from a working-class background into a professional occupation.

Definition

How each exam board covers it

AQA GCSE Sociology · 8192

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Eduqas GCSE Sociology · C200