What describes the movement of an individual from one social position to another of the same rank?

Horizontal mobility refers to the movement of an individual from one social position to another that is of the same rank or status. This kind of mobility does not involve a change in social class but may involve changes in occupation, location, or roles within a similar social or economic level.

For instance, if a teacher moves from one school to another without a change in their overall status as a professional, this would be an example of horizontal mobility. It highlights the fluidity between similar social positions rather than moving upwards or downwards in the social hierarchy, which would be vertical mobility.

In contrast, social stratification refers to the structured inequality between different social groups, which is not related to individual movement between roles, while a societal shift implies significant changes in the structure of a society as a whole, affecting many individuals rather than focusing on the mobility of single persons.