Moving Away, Moving Up, and Moving Back: Gender Dimensions of Social and Geographical Mobility in East Asia

Abstract

East Asia has witnessed an acceleration of geographical movements and varied patterns of social mobility across the region as economies matured and growth slowed. This special issue builds on the widely recognized gender dimensions of geographical mobility and investigates its relationship with social mobility from a gender perspective, while also recognizing that social mobility, with or without geographical mobility, is gendered. Focusing specifically on women and exploring the interrelationship between social and geographical mobility, we identify three key issues: (1) gendered employment opportunities and obstacles to moving up and around; (2) the interaction between women’s migration/mobility and marriage, motherhood, family roles, and domestic responsibilities; and (3) emerging trends in women’s migration and return migration in relation to social mobility. These issues cast light on the ways in which different forms of geographical and social mobility can either empower women or reinforce gender inequality in East Asian societies.