Open System

• Open system: Class

  • based on wealth, power, prestige
  • ownership and control of resources and type of work
  • achievement (some ascription)
  • flexible; social mobility is higher

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Social mobility is higher in class systems. The advantage is that people can achieve a position higher than their parents or grandparents. The disadvantage is that they can achieve a position lower than their ancestors. Mobility is not always vertically upward.

Note as well that class systems have less status consistency.People in a class system may rank very high in wealth and power and yet be accorded low public esteem.