What is social mobility? Class systems allow for individual and group mobility up and down the social class ladder. Intergenerational mobility refers to a movement between generations, while...

What is social mobility? Class systems allow for individual and group mobility up and down the social class ladder. Intergenerational mobility refers to a movement between generations, while intragenerational mobility refers to a movement between classes in one’s individual lifetime. Intergenerational mobility is common, but it is common both ways—groups move up the class ladder while other groups move down the class ladder—and tends to even out.