Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

This research aims to reveal the impact of unequal access to education and family economic conditions on community social mobility in Pangkajene and Islands (Pangkep) District, South Sulawesi. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study method, this research involved five resource persons from different geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds - including mountainous, island, coastal and rural areas. Data collection techniques were conducted through in-depth interviews and observation, with thematic analysis to identify patterns of findings. The results show that limited access to education due to the geographical location that is difficult to reach, the lack of educational infrastructure, and the weak economic carrying capacity of families have become the main obstacles to the vertical social mobility of the Pangkep community. This finding supports Pitirim A. Sorokin's theory that education is an important means to improve social status, but in an unequal structural context, this role is hampered. This study recommends the need for state intervention in the form of equitable distribution of educational infrastructure, area-based affirmative scholarship programs, and vocational training for poor families to break the chain of intergenerational poverty.