Goldthorpe: The Oxford Mobility Study

Question 1

Goldthorpe (1980)

Answer 1

a study on social mobility in the UK on 10,000 men. The Hope-Goldthorpe scale was used to compare the occupational classes of sons and their fathers

Question 2

Findings:

Answer 2

upward social mobility increase after WW2. This was perhaps due to the introduction of free secondary education and the opportunity of higher education. This study points out the increase in absolute social mobility due to more room at the top.

Question 3

Evaluation of the OMS:

Saunders (1990s)

Answer 3

criticised goldthorpe for focusing on relative rather absolute mobility rate. The number of WC children going into service class jobs should be celebrated. Goldthorpe also assumes that innate ability in the form of intelligence is evenly distributed among classes and thus the more intelligent have a higher chance of achieving service class jobs. The OMS also focuses only on men and thus ignoring women