Succesful Habilitation • 18.01.2018Succesful Habilitation in Sociology by Dr. Heiko Rüger at Mainz University

PD Dr. Heiko Rüger

The number of people in employment who are spatially mobile in various forms for professional purposes has increased in recent years. However, this development may have consequences for mobile workers, not only in terms of couples' relationships and family, but also in terms of their own well-being.

In his habilitation at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, completed in November 2017, Dr. Rüger examined the spread, development and forms as well as the individual and social causes and consequences of job-related spatial mobility in Germany and in other European countries. In a total of nine scientific analyses he dedicated himself to different aspects of this issue.

BiB: Dr. Rüger, in your habilitation you examined not only the consequences, but also the spread of work-related spatial mobility on the basis of the life courses of employed people. What do you see as the causes of the increase in job-related mobility in recent times?

Rüger: First of all, a high degree of spatial mobility is a central feature of modern societies. Against the background of an increasingly flexible and global society and economy, the spatial mobility of work and thus also of the workforce is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, there has been a change within families and gender roles which has led to a higher likelihood of mobility within the relationship. Increased educational and employment aspirations among women also influence the type of mobile lifestyle chosen. When two professional careers have to be combined, different forms of commuter mobility come to the fore as alternatives to relocations. These include forms of daily and weekly commuting, variable and multi-mobility as well as long-distance relationships.

BiB: Did you find out to what extent spatial mobility behaviour affects the spheres of relationships and family life or how the situations within the relationship and the family influence mobility behaviour?

Rüger: The analyses in view of the various forms of circular commuter mobility and their correlation with characteristics of relationship and family development in Germany suggest that complex mobility arrangements, especially for women, are difficult to reconcile with parenthood. Overall, mothers are less mobile related to the job and mobile women less often have children. The analyses have also shown that job-related mobility tended to be accompanied by a more traditional division of labour within the relationship, in which women were not relieved of childcare and housework to such an extent as men in the end.

BiB: Have any gender-specific differences been observed in the chosen form of mobility?

Rüger: Yes. It has become clear that the proportion of women decreased with increasing intensity of mobility. This was particularly true for the working population, with many of those overnight commuters for professional reasons. Here, the proportion of women was even lower than among daily long-distance commuters. The educational status also plays a role in this regard. People with a higher level of education tended to have longer commuting periods, whereas people with a lower level of education found themselves more frequently among short-distance commuters.

BiB: Did mobility also have an impact on well-being and health?

Rüger: A key finding is that it was impossible to verify positive effects of spatial mobility on the quality of life for any of the examined forms of mobility and sociodemographic groups. The analyses have rather shown that commuting, which is perceived as stressful, may have negative consequences for the self-assessment of health. In this context, the question of whether or not the mobility situation is voluntary, for example when commuting, plays an important role. Another result shows that a negative health effect could be proven in particular for women as well as for persons with children. It can be assumed that expectations regarding temporal and spatial flexibility conflict with expectations of the role of women and parents. The role conflicts might be perceived as a significant stress factor.

BiB: This raises the question: Does mobility also have positive aspects?

Rüger: Yes, indeed. Above all, improved career and income opportunities are to be mentioned here. The analyses have shown, for example, that working people commuting over long periods of time achieved a higher income compared to those with little mobility experience.

BiB: What conclusions can be drawn from your research findings?

Rüger: Increased geographical mobility and flexibility of the workforce could be in conflict with other socially desirable goals, such as equal career development opportunities for women and men. High mobility requirements on the labour market could make it even more difficult, especially for women, to combine family and career and thus weaken their position on the labour market. All in all, the issue therefore requires increased attention on the part of political and economic stakeholders. A first step could be to look at job-related mobility in male and female life courses in their different manifestations and with the possible individual and social consequences and to orientate political and operational measures accordingly. A bundle of support measures tailored to the respective requirements and burdens of the mobile workforce might be regarded as an appropriate approach.

Subject of the habilitation thesis: Heiko Rüger (2017): Spatial Mobility, Family and Society. Quantitative Analyses on the Relationship between Job-Related Spatial Mobility and Family, Career and Quality of Life (Cumulative Habilitation, Department 02 - Social Sciences, Media and Sport, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz)