The Formation of a Social Class Structure: Urbanization, Bureaucratization and Social Mobility in Thailand

Urbanization and bureaucratization are usually connected with a high rate of social mobility in western industrialized societies. In Thailand, however, mobility has declined between at least certain strata of Thai society following the consolidation of a bureaucratic elite in the expanding urban centre of Bangkok. The growing size, the monopolization of certain status symbols, the development of a distinct subculture, and the concentration of economic and political power are indications the bureaucratic elite is developing into a social class. It is therefore concluded urbanization and bureaucratization in formerly loosely structured societies may lead to the formation of a class system and to a temporary decline of social mobility. IN their well-known study on Social Mobility in Industrial Society Lipset and Bendix have pointed out that social mobility is an integral and continuing aspect of the process of urbanization, industrialization and bureaucratization. 1 Each of these processes, even if occurring separately, is connected with a high degree of social mobility. Four main factors are suggested to account for the increased rate of mobility in