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Meritocracy and Social Mobility: A Theoretical Perspective on Equality of Opportunity

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Vasil Kikutadze

Doctor of Economics, Professor, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

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Barbare Dateshidze

Chigwell School (Great Britain) 2th grade student

Abstract

In contemporary social and political discourse, meritocracy is regarded as the principle according to which an individual's social and economic standing ought to be determined by their knowledge, skills, effort, and achievements, rather than by social origin or inherited advantages. Although the meritocratic principle is frequently associated with fairness, the feasibility of its realization under conditions of structural and socioeconomic inequality is increasingly and actively examined in contemporary scholarly literature. The aim of the present article is to analyze the theoretical relationship among meritocracy, equality of opportunity, and social mobility. Particular attention is devoted to equality of opportunity as an essential precondition for the implementation of the meritocratic principle, and to social mobility as one of the significant dimensions for assessing the influence of social origin on individual life outcomes. The article further examines the role of education in fostering social mobility, as well as the socioeconomic and structural factors that constrain equal opportunity among individuals. The theoretical discussion demonstrates that a social order formally grounded in merit cannot, in itself, ensure equality of opportunity if individuals' formation of knowledge, skills, and capabilities is significantly shaped by their initial socioeconomic circumstances. Accordingly, the evaluation of meritocracy requires consideration not only of individual achievement and effort, but also of the social and institutional conditions within which such achievements are formed.

Keywords: meritocrac; social mobility; equality of opportunity; social inequality; education.

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The New Economist, N3, 2026, Vol. 21, Issue 3.

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Published Date:

07/10/2026

Copyright (c) 2026 Vasil Kikutadze, Barbare Dateshidze

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