printSocial Mobility and Urbanization in China and Russia:
Opportunities and Constraints
Zhang Jie
lecturer, Нenan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, Province Henan, China. galya66888@mail.ru
Luo Shuai
lecturer, Нenan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, Province Henan, China. luoyunjie2016@mail.ru
Zhang Dechun
Assoc. Prof., Нenan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, Province Henan, China. 115446484@qq.com
The article was prepared with the support of the project “Soft Sciences Program of Henan Province” (№ 242400410141) 本文是 “河南省软科学项目 ”的阶段性成果 (编号 242400410141). and Fund Project: 2023 Henan Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Project "Spatial Reconstruction of Urban-Rural Fringe Communities and Their Governance Modernization" (2023CSH027)和基金项目：2023年河南省哲学社会科学规划项目“ 城乡结合部社区的空间重 构及其治理现代化研究”（2023CSH027)».
Zhang Jie, Luo Shuai, Zhang Dechun Social Mobility and Urbanization in China and Russia: Opportunities and Constraints. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 10. P. 162-167
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.
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