Final answer:
Social mobility is the term used to describe the movement of individuals or groups within the social hierarchy, which can be upward or downward and may occur over a lifetime or across generations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Movement from one social stratum to another is called social mobility. It includes instances where individuals or groups undergo a change in position within the social hierarchy.
Stratification systems facilitate or limit upward mobility and downward mobility. Upward mobility is exemplified by the stories of individuals like Oprah Winfrey, who rose from poverty to becoming a powerful media personality, or Stephen King, who transitioned from janitor to bestselling author. Conversely, factors such as business setbacks, unemployment, or illness can cause downward mobility, where individuals move from a higher social stratum to a lower one.
The distinction between intergenerational mobility and intragenerational mobility reflects the time scale of social movement. Intergenerational mobility compares the social status of different generations within a family, while intragenerational mobility looks at changes throughout an individual's lifetime.