A practice-based approach to the conceptualisation of geographical mobility

A practice-based approach to the conceptualisation of geographical mobility

[SHS:GEO] Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography

mobility

practice

dwelling

migration

circulation

displacement

Geographical mobility increases in all domains and on all spatial scales: tourism practices, migrations, business trips, commuting, leisure circulation and so on. It has become an impor- tant phenomenon for research in the social sciences. Nevertheless, attempts at conceptuali- sation are still heavily limited because mobility is rarely viewed as a system in which the ensemble of movements are linked. It has become necessary to adopt a comprehensive approach towards mobility that focuses on the various practices employed and that targets the different types of mobility. Indeed, the following questions are raised: how should the numerous circulations and migrations be conceived and interpreted? How can the different population movements be classified? In this paper, we will attempt to adopt an original approach: to classify different practices of mobility using a "geographical code of practice". This code takes into account the conditions in which movements occur and the characteris- tics of the geographical sites involved. In this way, we hope to contribute to a theory of geo- graphical mobility which leads to a new appreciation of the ways individuals dwell in geo- graphical places.

Stock, Mathis

Duhamel, Philippe

Belgeo

2005-03-01

ENG

article in peer-reviewed journal

http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00716788

http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/71/67/88/PDF/belgeo_2005.pdf