Changes in everyday mobility in England since the 1940s: A case study

Abstract

Everyday mobility is usually neglected in academic studies of population movement. This paper argues that it deserves greater attention, and that interaction between everyday mobility and residential migration is increasingly significant. Data on changes in everyday mobility since the 1940s have been collected through a series of surveys and in-depth interviews. This paper presents results from a case study of the everyday mobility of children aged 10/11 in Lancaster, NW England. Analysis of changes in the distance travelled, the time spent travelling, the mode of transport used and of travel companions shows that although there have been major and obvious changes in transport technology, and in the structure of economy and society, since the 1940s, many aspects of everyday mobility did not change. For many everyday activities the distances over which children travel have changed little, the time taken in travelling for everyday mobility has changed less, and gender differentials in both the mode of transport used and travel companions are stable over time. The most significant change is the restrictive influence of the fear of crime.

Keywords

• everyday mobility
• children
• mobility constraints
• England