Intergenerational mobility refers to the shift in social or economic status compared to one’s parents. If a child of a supervisor becomes an unskilled laborer, this is downward mobility, while if they become a manager, it represents upward mobility. Studies have shown that such mobility is common, with many people ending up in jobs different from their parents’. Most of this movement is short-range, meaning people tend to stay within similar class levels, though upward mobility is more frequent, especially in middle-class levels.
Education plays a key role in intergenerational mobility. People with higher educational qualifications often get non-manual jobs, while those with less education are more likely to enter manual work, though college education can help manual workers move into higher positions.
Intragenerational mobility, on the other hand, refers to changes in an individual’s social or economic status during their career. For example, a clerk might get promoted to a manager. This type of mobility is more common early in one’s career and decreases with age. Like intergenerational mobility, intragenerational mobility is often linked to education. Self-employment is also seen as a way for manual workers to achieve upward mobility.
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