Social Society

Upward social mobility refers to a situation in which a person moves from a lower position to a higher position in the society. The mobility acts as a motivation for individuals to move towards different goals through providing benefits in the new roles. As an individual moves upwards in the society, he or she has to leave behind familiar surroundings, such as places and family. In addition, the individual may need to change behavior and thinking, and adapt to the new environment. There are many rags-to-riches stories that illustrate upward social mobility. Examples include Oprah Winfrey who grew up in rural Mississippi in poverty and turned into a powerful media personality, and Stephen King who worked as a janitor prior to becoming an accomplished published writer. These are stories of persons who rose from modest beginnings and achieve fame and fortune (Kupfer, 2015). In addition to fame and fortune, upward mobility includes marrying someone with a good income, getting a job promotion or earning a college degree to move up socially. Although there are examples of upward social mobility, the reality is that these stories of success are small when considered relative to the whole population. The level of competition and resource scarcity creates a situation in which people either socially stagnate or move downwards as they face illness, unemployment and business setbacks.  Social Society Essay Discussion Paper

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Also, getting a divorce, losing a job or dropping out of school could result in a loss of status or income therefore downward social mobility. The competition for upward mobility creates a unique situation in which individuals must leverage the available social structures, policies and laws to make use of their future potential. For instance, student loans allow bright and needy individuals to attend school and get better jobs that improve earnings. Another example is subsidized health care programs that allow the poor to have health care so that they are able to engage in economic activities, earn more and improve social standing (Kupfer, 2015). Overall, the scarcity of resources and high competition has created a situation that makes upward mobility much more difficult now than in the past decades.

Reference

Kupfer, A. (2015). Educational Upward Mobility: Practices of Social Changes. Palgrave Macmillan UK.  Social Society Essay Discussion Paper