Sociology Plus
Horizontal and Vertical Mobility Definition
Vertical mobility refers to movement up or down within a defined status hierarchy, such as that of social stratification. This concept presupposes a system where positions can be ranked, often illustrated by measures like individual income or occupational prestige. Conversely, horizontal mobility describes movement between different categories within the same hierarchical structure without changing one’s overall rank.
Conceptual Framework
The study of mobility requires defining the scale upon which movement occurs. Vertical mobility is typically assessed by ranking individuals across a clear upper and lower end of a social ladder, often using quantifiable metrics such as income or occupational status derived from surveys. Horizontal mobility, however, does not require a full ranking; it focuses on transitions between intermediate categories within a class structure.
Class Schemas and Mobility
Sociologists use frameworks like class schemas to conceptualise horizontal movement. For instance, a schema might delineate a ‘top’ (e.g., the service class) and a ‘bottom’ (e.g., unskilled manual workers). Movement from an intermediate category to the service class constitutes upward mobility, while movement between various intermediate categories represents horizontal mobility.
Work Relations and Mobility
While income can be used to rank categories, class schemas are fundamentally concerned with the work relations that define social positions. These relations—such as who gives commands, who is supervised, or the security of employment—create a multiplicity of classes that can be ranked relative to one another but not necessarily linearly. The hypothesis explored in this area suggests that these underlying work relations significantly influence income outcomes.
Economic Transformation
The concept of mobility is also applied to large-scale economic shifts. For example, the contraction of the agricultural sector in industrial societies resulted in movement among workers—such as farm labourers moving into unskilled manual jobs or farmers becoming self-employed—which constituted horizontal mobility rather than vertical advancement for the majority of participants.