Manny S Social Mobility Paper

Running Head: SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 1

Social Mobility and Social Reproduction Paper

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SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 2

Introduction

Social mobility is the advancing of groups of people, families, or even individuals through

the hierarchy of social stratification or hierarchy. There are various types of social mobility.

Horizontal mobility involves a change in social position without a change in social class. One

example of this is the manager of a certain company moving to another company to be the manager

there. Vertical mobility involves a change in one’s social class. Vertical social mobility could be

either upwards or downwards. An example of an upward social mobility would be a manual worker

rising to become a successful businessman. On the other hand, a wealthy aristocrat who loses all

he owns in a revolution represents an example of downward social mobility. In societies that have

been organized by social class, the chance of achieving social mobility is higher. In societies like

these, the ability of a person to move up the social ladder is depended on factors like education,

personal effort, social connections and wealth. In caste systems, individual effort does not matter

in social mobility. The social positions of people are predetermined through merit.

There are various factors that are capable of limiting social mobility, and race and gender

are among them. A considerable number of sociologists believe that social structures determine

social mobility to a great extent. This is in terms of the opportunities that are available to the

various groups in the society and not the effort of an individual. As such, the degree of possibility

of social mobility changes from one society to another. Social mobility can be intra-generational

or intergenerational. Intra-generational mobility involves a shift in the social standing of an

individual. This is common in the workforce when a person works to attain higher paying jobs in

their place of work. Intergenerational mobility, on the other hand, refers to a change in the social

class across generations. Sociologists are most interested in intergenerational mobility.

SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 3

Major upheavals and societal changes can enhance the opportunity for a large number of

people to climb the social ladder. Such a mobility is known as structural mobility. The factors that

lead to structural mobility include advances in education, industrialization, and computerization.

These have caused many people to rise in social status and find jobs of a higher level than those

done by their parents. Not everyone, however, achieves social mobility. This is because there are

individual characteristics that either enhance or limit one’s ability to move socially. Factors like

one’s residence, religion, health, education level and occupation determine the possibility of

individual social mobility.

Reflecting on my personal history, I cannot ignore the role that has been played by social

class. My family, in particular, has played a crucial role in my upbringing, which impacts my

perception of things and way of thinking to date. Social mobility is contributed to by a number of

factors, but as for me, I can attribute the social production and upward mobility of my family

members to education and personal effort. Education has also contributed greatly to my own

position in the society today. Starting from my grandparents, the story of my family is that of hard

work and determination. The intergenerational upward mobility of the members of my family can

be attributed to the two. In my ancestral homeland, the structural and cultural factors made it

possible for my family members to put effort into their work, determined to make sure that their

subsequent generations lead better lives.

My home country is Saudi Arabia. I was born in 1997 in the city of Riyadh from a small

family called Albatli. My father was born in 1945 and my mother in 1955. I have five brothers and

four sisters, which makes a total of ten children in our family, myself included. I am the last born

in our family. My siblings and I have been brought up in a conservative environment where we

are taught and expected to adhere to the values of Islam. My family history shows that in my

SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 4

country, there are many opportunities for people achieve social mobility. This history contributes

to my own social standing today. Looking back at all that has happened in my family from the

time of my grandparents to myself, I understand what places me where I am today. The story of

my family is no different from any other “rags-to-riches” story you might have heard. My

grandfather and mother lived in a small town called Huraymila to the north of the city of Riyadh.

The people of this town get on well with each other, and this is where my father and mother met.

My grandfather was a farmer and my grandmother helped him with the farm and household

activities. Grandfather owned many farms in the town, which were the main resource for the

family. At that time, oil had not yet been discovered in Saudi Arabia. The people majorly relied

on agriculture although Saudi Arabia has meager water resources. As mentioned earlier, the people

of Huraymila are very friendly and so my parents did not face any form of discrimination. My

family practices Islam and so do I. Islam is also the main religion of Saudi Arabia so religion did

not play any major role in the social mobility of my grandparents. There were no discrimination

and religious prejudice that would hinder them from achieving their goals. My grandparents used

the money that they got from the farm to educate my father.

The economy of Saudi Arabia expanded after oil was discovered and people began working

in. the only thing that could limit social mobility at that time was gender. Men had to go to work

and provide money for their families while women were to be married while they were young so

that they could bear children and take care of the home. As my mother stayed at home and took

care of us, my father found a job in the government. In the Saudi Arabia of the 1970’s, things were

completely different. Women could not attend school and get even the basic education. This is

because the society just perceived this to be wrong. My mother went to school up to only the

elementary school. She dropped out of school because many people at that time told my

SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 5

grandfather that it was a shameful and inappropriate act to educate a girl. At the time, a great

number of people did not know how to read or write. They lived in small circles.

My mother is a housewife because she did not get the right education when she was young

and only went up to elementary school. Even if she might have wanted to continue studying, she

could not because of the social norms of the time. My father also dropped out of school to help my

grandfather on the farm. However, he already knew how to read and write. Ours is considered to

be a middle-class family. However, this ability to read and write combined with his personal effort

enabled him to achieve a social status higher than that of my grandparents before him. This shows

upward social mobility across generations. The fact that Saudi Arabia is a free country that

advocated for equal opportunity for all as well as the religious freedom that allowed my

grandparents to practice their religion without interference have greatly contributed to my position

in the society today.

My parents have participated a great deal in my sociological formation by teaching me the

things that I should do if I want to remain a respected member of the society. In elementary school,

my mother and father gave me advice all the time on how to live like a good student and rewarded

me for good conduct. My parents have taught me to live in peace with all the people and to show

respect to others however different they might be because we cannot all be the same. They did not

abandon this responsibility of their even when I went to High School. My parents strived to get

me a scholarship so that I can get a quality education here in the United States after my graduation

from High School. Even when I am here, my parents call me occasionally and provide me with

the money I need to make my stay here in the United States comfortable. My father encourages

me a great deal and tells me that any new place has got challenges and so if I face any challenges

here, they should serve to strengthen and not discourage me.

SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 6

I have always admired people who have studies in the United States so, since I was a child,

I yearned to study here. Today, I have been given the opportunity to be here. I am happy because

I have this opportunity since I know that the education I will acquire here will make my chances

of climbing up the social ladder higher. This is because I am getting a quality education that will

make it possible for me to land a job that pays well. My social status will surely be higher than

that of my parents and this represents intergenerational upward social mobility. Since we are now

considered to be members of the middle class in the society, I am sure that the education I am

getting will get me to the high class. I will be able to raise my children well and give them the

formation that is necessary to enable them to achieve their ambitions.

The social class of the generations before me has had an impact on me. The efforts of my

father and grandparents have impacted my own social mobility. The efforts of my father and the

education he has provided for me have placed me where I am today. Today, one of the structural

factors that determine social mobility is education. Today, education is both a requirement and an

opportunity for achieving upward social mobility. As such, people who have no education today

may not have an opportunity to improve their social status. People with equal educational are

equally likely to get jobs and so their ability to achieve social mobility is equal. Timothy Eagan

(2005) argues that people must always remember that education is very necessary if they wish to

get a good job. What my family has taught me allows me to interact freely with people coming

from different social class. Through comparing my situation to that of other students in my class

today, I get an understanding of what has taken place in my life. I am determined to succeed in

life. I know the future is promising and that with hard work and determination, I can achieve all

my goals.

Conclusion

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In conclusion, this personal narrative of the social mobility within my family has helped

me to reflect upon the things that have influenced my social position today and the factors that are

likely to advance it. The essay shows that there are various factors, both structural and social, that

determine whether one climbs up the social ladder or not. In a free society, anyone has an equal

opportunity to rise up the social ladder. This narrative explains how my family started from a poor

grandfather working as a farmer to an educated grandson who has all the opportunities at their

disposal to achieve upward intergenerational social mobility. Personally, I am undergoing

academic training to get the qualifications that will enable me to get a good job. As shown in the

essay, education today is very important for one to achieve upward social mobility. As such, people

who wish to achieve social mobility must acquire the desired educational qualifications.

Reference

SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION PAPER 8

Egan, T. (2005). No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle. New York Times[New York

City].

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