UNFULFILLED SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL MOBILITY I: A THEORETICAL SCHEME*

Abstract Contrary to the views of some Marxists, we are firmly convinced that social mobility is not a ’bourgeois problematic’. We believe that, given certain preconditions, mobility processes may contribute significantly to the effective functioning of a socialist socio-economic system. In this respect they have great potential but the effective utilization of that potential is problematic. So far the sociology of socialist countries has paid little attention to the systemic meaning of social mobility. In an attempt to change this state of affairs, we are endeavouring here to pave the way for research into two possible functions of mobility for the social system. ’ By such functions, we understand: (a) the legitimation of the social and political system; (b) an incentive to processes of economic development and to efficiency. Two types of mobility are distinguished in this text and linked to their potential contribution to the functioning of the socio-political system. The collective-class type mobility is considered relevant to ’politico-revolutionary ’ legitimation, and individual occupational-qualificational type mobility is considered relevant for both ’economico-reformist ’ legitimation and incentive for economic growth and efficiency. In this paper the authors try to develop a theoretical scheme for sociological and historical analysis, and in a following paper they spell out some tentative substantive hypotheses related to the Polish case