The Lack of Social Mobility and Equality Theories in Mexico

The ranks in witch people are viewed in a society can be reffered to as a social staus. The status can be created by the presence or lack of wealth, prestige or career. This status can either be ascribed or achived. Ascribed meaning that it is inherited or gained involuntary. A. Social mobility is the ability of individuals to move up or down the social ladder, shifting form one social status to another that is higher or lower than the original class from witch the individual derived.

This is a contempary subject as according to key data collected by the guardian, social mobility has been at a standstill since the 1970s and has somewhat gotten poorer. Social mobility appears to have stalled or deteriorated in terms of social class and income measures. 1 The life chances of an individual can be estimated by considering their history and background. This is proved by the data gathered by the guardian. For example, “49% of the low class population will apply to university and be acsepted, compared to 77% of the high class. The top 1% of the UK population has a greater share of national income than at any time since the 1930s.Higher education is not evenly balanced in terms of aspirations - 81% of the richest fifth of the population think their child will go to university, compared to 53% of the poorest. 24% of vice-chancellors, 32% of MPs, 51% of top Medics, 54% of FTSE-100 chief execs, 54% of top journalists, 70% of High Court judges went to private school, though only 7% of the population do.” These statistics all prove that if you are born into a high lass, you are likely to stay there and do well, however the less well off classes generally tend to stay static.

1. Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, lacking in money and materials. Almost a third of the UK population fell below the official poverty line at some point between 2010 and 2013, figures show. Around 19.3 million people - 33% - were in poverty at least once, compared with 25% of people across the EU, the Office for National Statistics found.
2. These issues, the lack of social mobility chances, the unfair life chances of individual are the UK and the rates of poverty in the UK are extremely problematic. It does not allow the percentage of individuals living in poverty be part of many social activities or can gain good qualifications. Poverty is a major cause of social tension and threatens to divide a nation because of the issue of inequalities, particularly income inequality.

Marxism, a conflict theory, sees all human societies as having been 'class based' in some way. This means that in every known human society there has been a division between two social groups. One group has always owned and controlled the fundamental material resources that are necessary for the maintenance of social existence, the bourgeoisie, and the other group has not owned or controlled the production of such things, the proletariat. Marxism dose not believe social mobility is possible and that there is no chance of movement up or down the social ladder.

Functionalism, as a consensus theory, views society like a body, each part is interdependent, each performing various vital functions to maintain ‘life’. Functionalism believes that social mobility is possible and that movement between the classes, up or down, is achievable. These theories differ as they both view the society in different ways. One, Marxism sees society as a conflicting being composed of two separate groups. However, Functionalism sees the society as a single being, each section of witch, even crime, provides a purpose and helps to keep the society running. They are similar in one way though, being they are both Marco theories, looking at the bigger picture and society and they are both structural theories.

A piece of research that backs up Marxism is the inequality and lack of social mobility present in modern society. For example, a BBC report found that professionals from poorer backgrounds might be less likely to ask for pay rises and could exclude themselves from promotion for fear of not 'fitting in'. They are also less likely to have access to the same networks and opportunities as their more privileged colleagues. This backs up Marxism as the inability to climb the social ladder is evident threw this fact.