If researchers find that the Great Recession of 2008 led to large numbers of middle-class people experiencing downward mobility to the lower-middle class, it would be an example of

A) relative deprivation.
B) a closed system.
C) structural mobility.
D) horizontal social mobility.

Structural mobility refers to changes in social status due to changes in the economy, such as recessions or a shift in the demand for certain types of jobs. In this scenario, the Great Recession led to a decrease in the number of middle-class jobs and an increase in lower-middle class jobs, resulting in downward mobility for some individuals.