Life event = change in mobility behaviour ? Understanding the link between life course events and new mobility practices by using longitudinal panel
Résumé
Within the scope of mobility studies, the theoretical framework to analyse « life course(s) » is called «mobility biographies». It focuses on mobility decisions and behavior in response to life events and transitions (Müggenburg et al., 2015).
Given the methodological difficulties involved in diachronic analysis when applied to the links between (multiple) life events and evolutions (over several time horizons) in mobility behavior, few studies to date have shed light on this theoretical relationship (Carola de Groot, et al., 2011 ; Clark et al., 2014 ; Glen H. Elder Jr. et al., 2003 ; Schoenduwe et al., 2015).
This paper proposes to partly fill this gap by presenting the initial findings from a specific longitudinal survey that followed the mobility practices of 2300 French respondents between 2018 and 2024.
Six types of “life events” will be analysed. They concern changes in : (1) transport equipment, (2) the number of household members, (3) the household income, (4) residential relocation, (5) professional status and (6) birth of child. This typology follows previous categorizations used in the literature (Courgeau, 1981 ; Lanzendorf, 2003 ; Müggenburg, 2015 ; Ahmed and Moeckel, 2023). The impact of these six types of “life events” on mobility behaviour will be then assessed through three main indicators : variation in time budget within the week, modal shares and number of weekly travels.