Walt – What social factors affect social mobility ?

1. Starter – think about your response in preparation for a class discussion for the following statement... Why do childrenfrom working class families stay in the working class all their lives. Walt – What social factors affect social mobility? Wilfs – I will be able to identify examples of social mobility – E-d I will be able to explain different forms of mobility using sociological terminology – C-D I will be able to evaluate the extent to which Britain is a society with social mobility – A*-B

2. Task Social mobility refers to movement up and down the class system. There are two ways of measuring mobility, intergenerational – meaning between generations i.e. a child of a working class parents being successful in education moves up to a middle-class profession and intragenerational – within one generation, i.e. a man whose first job is a working class one, but moves up to become a manager. Also, there is absolute mobility, referring to the total of people moving up and down and relative mobility, referring to the chances of moving up a social class from a particular starting point. Now, try and note down 4 ways a person might move up the social ladder and 4 ways you might move down the social ladder.

3. Factors Education/TrainingPovertyCultural values/aspirationsFamily structureInnate intelligenceInheritanceAscribed statusLuckEthnicity/genderHard work/effortmarriage/divorceEconomic changeAgeRegion How might these factors affect social mobility up and down?

4. Task With a partner, design a snakes and ladders game on social mobility. You need 4-5 examples of situations where you might move up a social class and down a class. Remember a ladder needs to be drawn to move up, a snake needs top be drawn to go down a class and the length of these could link to the potential higher or lower movement. Use the examples discussed earlier. Grade E-G Give 2 examples of how a person might move up a class and 2 ways you might move down a class. Do you believe there is more chance of moving up or down a social class today? Why? Grade C-D What is meant by social mobility? What is meant by relative mobility? What is meant by absolute mobility? Why in the 20th century, have more people been moving up social classes? Can somebody move from the working class straight into the upper class? Why? Grade A*-B (can use page 75 if needed) What is meant by the term meritocracy? Does social mobility link to achieved or ascribed status? Why? Would you describe Britain as an open or closed system? Answer the following statement using arguments of and against, and your own opinion. Britain is a meritocratic society.

5. Plenary Swap your answers with the person next to you. You are going to peer assess each others work. Once you have marked it, you need to grade it using the learning outcomes below. Once you have your work back, note whether you agree or disagree with this grade and why. I will be able to identify examples of social mobility – E-G I will be able to explain different forms of mobility using sociological terminology – C-D I will be able to evaluate the extent to which Britain is a society with social mobility – A*-B