Social Mobility and Urbanization in China and Russia: Opportunities and Constraints

The study explores the impact of urbanization on social mobility in China and Russia. The objects of the study were the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Moscow, and St. Peterburg, which is determined by their representativeness. The methodology is based on an mixed-method approach that combines elements of descriptive statistical and sociological research, including quantitative surveys (N = 2000), and in-depth interviews with 20 respondents. The data obtained were processed and analyzed using the SPSS software tools, which made it possible to identify the mechanism of urbanization’s influence on social mobility. The findings reveal that while urbanization creates opportunities for professional development and access to education, it also reinforces social inequalities, particularly through housing costs and institutional barriers like China’s hukou system. Notable differences between the countries include the slower pace of urbanization in Russia compared to China’s infrastructure overload. These findings highlight the complex and multidimensional nature of urbanization’s impact on social mobility and suggest pathways for mitigating barriers and enhancing opportunities in urban environments.