Social mobility, a fundamental human phenomenon, occurs across time, space, and societies, and has been amplified by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the largest post-partition mass exodus in India. However, this large-scale social mobility raises pressing social questions, such as how mobility levels and nature are intrinsically linked to socio-economic wealth and how this mobility is often influenced by the immobility of others, which has been overlooked in academic discourse. Social position determines possibility of converting social networks into social capital through mobility, which depends on various factors such as the network's quality, the diversity of ties, and the level of trust and reciprocity.
Inter-state cyclical migration is common phenomenon in Jharkhand, which has been shaping its economic, social, and cultural landscape for decades. This paper aims to explore the relationship between mobility and immobility during crises and how crises affect migrant workers' mobility patterns. The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have highlighted social inequalities in access to mobility, with some people having greater access to spatial and virtual mobility due to economic and social capital. This paper will examine how different social groups mitigate the impact post-crisis using data from Jharkhand Migration Survey and Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative during lockdown.
The paper will focus on pertinent issues such as economic and social health and mobility, migration and mobility, the intricacies between the two, mobility and human agency, and mobility and the degree of resilience in marginalized populations. It is essential to recognize that social groups do not mitigate the risk in the same ways given their socio-economic and political positions during and after a crisis. Therefore, this paper will shed light on how social inequalities in access to mobility exacerbate the impact of crises on marginalized populations, which can be addressed by providing equitable access to mobility.
