Movement through the class structure is measured against a baseline — and there are two of them. Compare a person with their parents and you are measuring intergenerational mobility; compare them with their own younger self and you are measuring intragenerational mobility. The two can point in opposite directions.
Pick a life to trace
Six life histories. Choose one to plot it against the class ladder.
Two baselines, one personchoose a mode to begin
Inter‑ means between: between generations, parent to child. Intra‑ means within: within one person’s own working life. The prefix carries the entire distinction.
Tap any square or dot on the chart to read the occupation behind it, and tap either box under the chart to switch which comparison is drawn.