I

V Most slaves are poor members of an inferior ethnic group, war captives, cr foreigners imoorted for sale" ii
was used to be common in Egypt, Rome Athens, US, South Asia and Africa.
2. Estate or Feudal system. Status is determined by land ownership, and power of certain groups is
based on their noble birth. The land is owned by few groups and the rest of the population work far them.
Feudalism was established in the Europe in seventh century and they lasted into the sixteenth century.
Estates include serfs and clergy. Serfs are the commoners and clergy comprises the feudai.
3. Class system. Class systems are "open" stratification systems in which people's positions are achieved
and changeable. Social class refers to any groups of people who share a similar economic position in
society based on theirwealth and income {Newman,2000). The boundaries between classes are fluid.
4. Caste. This is an ideal type of "closed" stratification system, lt is a system of classification which states
that a person born into a particular position in a society and that no action on his/her part in raise or lower
that position. The te.m caste is derived from the Portuguese word 'casta'which means a group. When an
individual born into a caste he remains to be a member of the same caste forever, it is an ascribed group.
Each caste has a name and is endogamous, the membership is by birth. Caste discrirnination is officialiy
illegal but exists nonetheless. Castes are arranged in hierarchy and each caste has a fixed occupation.

The traditional castes of lndia:

. Brahnrans - :"nosiiy priesis and scholars.
" Kshatriyas - warriors, rulers, and large Iandholders
" Vaishyas - merchants, farmers, and skilled artisans
. Sudras - iaborers and unskilled artisans

SocialMobility
As sockl stratification is defined as a syslem by which society ranks categories of people in a
hierarchy, and c/ass sysfem is differentiated as upper, middle, and lower class, s**i*l r*c$ifdg.. ref*::: :r-: ii
ch*::g* ii: p::sitio* xiii:i;: lhe :*ci*i hi*re rch;*. We are fortunate enough to live in a society with an open
system of social stratification - that is, with t** tgi:i *ppcri*riiiy. 'r*'e lav* ihe ;l*liliy ir; 'i?lrv+ i,ii)' in **ci*iv
*** hecu1$* a ffierng*i" cl e *ill*l'*;:i :;"-r+iai ':i*;s. :r'r.:* *l'en'l nec*ssariiy siuck ivili": ihe sc]+i*i liatris lvliit
uhi,;h v,r* 'siere Lrrt. Social mobility is the movement af individuals, families, households, or other
categories of people within or between social strata in a society.lt is a change in socialsfafus relative to
others'social location within a given society.
Types of Mobility

Vertical vs. Horizontal Social Mobitity

Earning a college degree or professional certification, landing a higher-paying job, or marrying
someone who is wealthy can help someone move up the social ladder. We love stories of people who rise
from rags to riches, and we continue promoting the idea that anyone can succeed with the right
opportunity.
Of course, there is also downward social mobility - losing a job, dropping out of school, or being
publicly disgraced may contribute to being knocked down a rung. Upward and downward social mobility are
both types of vertical mobility, a change in position between social levels. A factory worker who becomes
a wealthy entrepreneur experiences significant vertical mobility, moving upward through the ranks of the
social hierarchy. Although he started as part of the working class, he ended up as part of the upper class.
ln reality, it is rare for someone to jump that far on the social ladder.
Horizontal mobility, a change in position at the same social level, is actually much more common
than vertical mobility. lt is almost always the result of changing occupations within the same social class. A
nurse who leaves one hospital to take a position as a nurse at another hospital and a manager who
accepts a similar position at another company are both experiencing horizontal mobility. Although they
have changed jobs, they remain at their same level within the social hierarchy.

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