social mobility

This term describes the capacity for an individual or group to change their socioeconomic status. It is most frequently used in academic, sociological, and political discourses to evaluate the fairness and openness of a society's class structure.

Upward mobility refers to a rise in status, while downward mobility describes a decline. The term is often contrasted with social rigidity, where class boundaries are fixed and hereditary. Because it describes a systemic phenomenon or a general capacity, it is treated as an uncountable concept.