A country has high rates of intergenerational mobility — individuals frequently move between income levels across generations. What can we conclude about social stratification in that country?
AStratification is absent because mobility is high
BThe system is just and fair because anyone can move up
CStratification still exists; mobility measures how open the system is, not whether hierarchy exists
DThe country must have a class system rather than a caste system
High mobility means the stratification system is relatively open — who occupies which rank can change across generations — but a hierarchy of wealth, power, and prestige still exists. Mobility describes the fluidity of movement within the structure, not the presence or absence of hierarchy. A society can have substantial inequality and still allow significant movement up and down the ladder.
Question 2 True / False
Social class is primarily determined by income — a person with high income is necessarily upper class regardless of other factors.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Sociologists identify multiple dimensions of stratification: economic capital (income and wealth), cultural capital (education, credentials, tastes), social capital (networks and relationships), and occupational prestige. A lottery winner and a tenured professor at an elite university may have similar incomes but very different class positions based on cultural and social capital.
Question 3 Short Answer
What distinguishes a caste system from a class system in sociological terms?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: In a caste system, rank is ascribed at birth and largely fixed — movement between castes is rare or prohibited. In a class system, rank is at least nominally achieved through education and effort, making movement between classes theoretically possible.
The caste/class distinction maps onto ascribed vs. achieved status. Historical caste systems tied life chances to birth status with little or no mechanism for mobility. Class systems allow mobility in principle, though in practice structural barriers mean actual mobility rates are often much lower than ideological narratives suggest — sometimes closer to caste outcomes than meritocratic ideals.