Differentiate intergenerational mobility from intragenerational mobility and give an example of each.

• A. Intergenerational mobility occurs when a descendant's class differs from their parent's; intragenerational mobility occurs when an individual's class changes over their own life, such as starting as an unskilled worker and becoming a manager.
• B. Intergenerational mobility is when one moves within a generation; intragenerational is across generations.
• C. Intergenerational mobility refers to family size; intragenerational to marriage status.
• D. Intergenerational mobility is only about wealth; intragenerational about education.

Answer: (B)

Intergenerational mobility is movement in social status across generations, comparing where a person ends up with where their parents or ancestors started. For example, a child born to a factory worker who grows up to become a doctor shows upward intergenerational mobility.

Intragenerational mobility tracks changes in social status within a single person's lifetime. It reflects how a person’s position can rise or fall as they age, often through education, training, or career moves. For instance, someone who starts as an unskilled worker and later becomes a manager demonstrates upward intragenerational mobility.