vertical mobility

noun, Sociology
1.
movement from one social level to a higher one (upward mobility) or a lower one (downward mobility) as by changing jobs or marrying.
2.
cultural diffusion from one social level to another, as the adoption by one economic class of the fashions current or formerly current in a higher class.
Compare horizontal mobility.
Examples from the web for vertical mobility
  • Any school practice which discourages or impedes vertical mobility perpetuates low social status of the poor.
  • The density of an organic liquid relative to that of water is important in determining the vertical mobility of the contaminant.
British Dictionary definitions for vertical mobility

vertical mobility

noun
1.
(sociol) the movement of individuals or groups to positions in society that involve a change in class, status, and power Compare horizontal mobility See also upward mobility, downward mobility