What's the name of the on in windows, that allows you to ascend one folder level?

and where is this feature in windows 7? all it seems to ever give me in apps such as explorer is the back and forward ons. I hate having to use those, especially when I open up explorer and it takes me to the last place I was at prior to closing, with no way to ascend folder levels, forcing me into madly double clicking each drive/folder level on the left-side listings until I can reach the ONE LEVEL above the folder it was originally showing me...