_____ mobility is movement up or down the social class ladder due more to changes in society than to the actions of individuals.

• A. Personal
• B. Structural
• C. Economic
• D. Cultural

Answer: (B)

Structural mobility refers to movement up or down the social class ladder that happens because of broad changes in the structure of society—like shifts in the economy, the job market, or social institutions—rather than because of any one person's actions. When the whole economy expands or contracts, or when new industries emerge and others fade, large numbers of people can move into higher or lower classes as a consequence of these macro-level changes. For example, a major growth in manufacturing or the creation of new middle-class occupations can lift many individuals simultaneously, even if their personal efforts don’t differ. This is why the statement matches structural mobility: it highlights how societal shifts, not individual decisions, drive the movement. Personal mobility would emphasize individual effort, cultural mobility would focus on changes in values or norms, and economic mobility centers on wealth changes, which can be influenced by both structure and choice but do not by themselves capture the macro-level shift described.