Territorial Mobility of the Russian Population in the Context of Social Dynamics

— Migration of working-age people is considered in regards to intergenerational social mobility. The latter is understood as an improvement in one’s level of education, material well-being, or job position compared to the corresponding characteristics of one’s parents. Migration is a powerful social elevator: often search for a better job motivates people to move. The aim of the article is to estimate the impact of place of residence change on social dynamics. The study is based on data from the regular all-Russian sociological survey “Person, Family, Society” (PFS). To define social classes we apply stratification methodology based on three domains of criteria—wealth, socio-professional status, and subjective indicators. Among social strata the middle class is the least mobile, while the lower class demonstrates the highest territorial mobility. Most often, moving to another locality takes place due to family circumstances, and this kind of migration is the most typical for the lower class. The hypothesis about the positive impact of any migration on socioeconomic growth has not been confirmed by PFS data. However, relocations for study lead to upward intergenerational mobility in education and employment status. Migration for family reasons has an opposite effect: all else being equal, it reduces a person’s chances to surpass her/his parents in terms of wealth and level of education.