Federal Institute for Population Research

Spatial Mobility Over the Life Course and in a Regional Context

Content and Objectives

The starting point is the life course perspective, according to which spatial mobility behaviour is closely interrelated with other areas of life such as family, employment and health and is embedded in the spatial-social context. The unique selling point is in particular the consideration of diverse forms of mobility and their interactions. This includes, for example, the connection between virtual (such as working from home) and physical forms of mobility. The project addresses these and other key research questions - mostly using panel data - and thus closes existing research gaps in the literature.

Firstly, the increase in digitalisation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has triggered profound changes in the world of work, particularly with a significant increase in working from home, and allows, among other things, more freedom in choosing where to live and work. Research into the resulting consequences is of significant social relevance. Therefore, in cooperation with the "Family" research group, the connection between commuting mobility and working from home will be focussed on. On the other hand, further consequences of home office use for employees, particularly with regard to the scope of employment, well-being and health, are being investigated.

Secondly, the effects of spatial mobility in the form of commuting and job-related relocations on civic engagement are analysed. This question is of central importance to society, but has hardly been addressed in research to date. On the one hand, previous research assumes that increasing spatial flexibility in the labour market leads to uprooting and isolation, as people are detached from local social relationships. On the other hand, spatial mobility is seen as a resource for participation in society and is associated with desired and encouraged characteristics such as (cultural) openness.

Thirdly, the relationship between spatial mobility and well-being/health will be analysed. Among other things, possible selection processes and explanatory (mediating) factors will be analysed. In cooperation with Research Group 2.1 "International Migration", changes in subjective well-being and health in connection with the migration event will be analysed for the first time for internationally mobile Germans using panel data.

Fourthly, the quality of life of expatriates is analysed in relation to the cultural and other (urban) living conditions at the place of posting, such as quality of housing, green spaces, air pollution, noise, infrastructure and commuting situation. It is based on a separate survey of all employees of the Foreign Service in cooperation with the health service of the Federal Foreign Office (AA). In cooperation with Research Group 2.1 "International Migration", a comparison with data from the GERPS project (German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study) will be used to analyse whether the subjective quality of life of expatriates in the country of origin depends on the cultural distance between the country of origin and the destination country. Extending the existing literature, the "cost-benefit hypothesis" will be analysed, which assumes a non-linear relationship between cultural distance and psychological and socio-cultural adjustment instead of a linear one.

Data and Methods

The research questions are investigated using secondary data, in particular the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), our own (JobMob) and the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS). In particular, various methods are used to analyse longitudinal data such as event analysis, fixed-effects panel regression and sequence analysis.

Duration

01/2020–12/2024

Partners

  • Dr. Alexandra Mergener, Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB), Germany
  • Gesundheitsdienst des Auswärtigen Amts, Berlin, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kley, Universität Hamburg, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Natascha Nisic, Universität Mainz, Germany
  • Dr. Knut Petzold, Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz, Germany
  • Dr. Lena Greinke, Universität Mainz, Germany
  • Dr. Gil Viry, University of Edinburgh, Great Britain

Selected Publications

Rüger, Heiko; Laß, Inga; Stawarz, Nico; Mergener, Alexandra (2024):

Travel Behaviour and Society 37.

Rüger, Heiko; Hoherz, Stefanie; Schneider, Norbert F.; Fliege, Herbert; Bellinger, Maria M.; Wiernik, Brenton M. (2023):

Applied Research in Quality of Life.

Laß, Inga; Skora, Thomas; Rüger, Heiko; Mark Wooden; Bujard, Martin (2023):

Transportation (online first).

Stawarz, Nico; Arránz Becker, Oliver; Rüger, Heiko (2022):

Health & Place 75: 102806.

More Publications

Rosenbaum-Feldbrügge, Matthias; Waibel, Stine; Fliege, Herbert; Bellinger, Maria M.; Rüger, Heiko (2022):

Journal of Global Mobility 10(3): 373–391.

Rüger, Heiko; Greinke, Lena; Skora, Thomas (2022):

Raumforschung und Raumordnung / Spatial Research and Planning 80(4): 479–496.

Rüger, Heiko; Hoherz, Stefanie (2022):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 5/2022: 3–8.

Rüger, Heiko; Stawarz, Nico; Skora, Thomas; Wiernik, Brenton M. (2021):

Journal of Environmental Psychology 77.

Rüger, Heiko; Stawarz, Nico; Skora, Thomas; Jaszlovsky, Vinzent (2021):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 1/2021: 3–7.

Stawarz, Nico; Rüger, Heiko; Skora, Thomas (2021):

Population, Space and Place.

Stawarz, Nico; Ette, Andreas; Rüger, Heiko (2021):

In: Erlinghagen, Marcel; Ette, Andreas; Schneider, Norbert F.; Witte, Nils (Eds.): The Global Lives of German Migrants. Consequences of International Migration Across the Life Course. IMISCOE Research Series. Cham: Springer: 205–225.

Laß, Inga; Skora, Thomas; Rüger, Heiko; Wooden, Mark; Bujard, Martin (2021):

BiB Working Paper 2/2021. Wiesbaden: Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung.

Weinmann, Martin; Ette, Andreas (Eds.) (2021):

DGB-Bundesvorstand (Eds.): BM. Das Magazin für Beamtinnen und Beamte 3/2021. : 4–6.

Spieß, C. Katharina (2021):

Durchblick: 22–24.

Müller, Nora; Stawarz, Nico; Wicht, Alexandra (2021):

Soziale Welt 72(4). : Nomos: 384–414.

Rüger, Heiko; Stawarz, Nico (2020):

Knieps, Franz; Pfaff, Holger (Eds.): Mobilität - Arbeit - Gesundheit. BKK Gesundheitsreport 2020. Berlin: MWV Medizinisch Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft: 236–246.

Skora, Thomas; Rüger, Heiko; Stawarz, Nico (2020):

Sustainability 12(14), 5692.

Rüger, Heiko (2019):

PLANERIN 5/2019: 10–12.

Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (Ed.) (2018):

Policy Brief, Oktober 2018.

Rüger, Heiko (2018):

In: ACE Auto Club Europa e.V. (Ed.): Mobilität gestalten, Stillstand verhindern. Analysen, Praxisberichte und Aktuelles zum betrieblichen Mobilitätsmanagement in Deutschland. Berlin: ACE: 18–21.

Skora, Thomas (2018):

Beiträge zur Bevölkerungswissenschaft 52. Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich.

Rüger, Heiko; Skora, Thomas; Linde, Marina; Sulak, Harun; Waibel, Stine (2018):

Staat und Wirtschaft in Hessen 2/2018: 37–45.

Rüger, Heiko; Pfaff, Simon; Weishaar, Heide; Wiernik, Brenton M. (2017):

Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour 50: 100–108.

Rüger, Heiko; Viry, Gil (2017):

European Sociological Review 33(5): 645–660.

Rüger, Heiko; Sulak, Harun (2017):

Raumforschung und Raumordnung - Spatial Research and Planning 75(5): 413–427.

Schneider, Norbert F.; Rüger, Heiko; Ruppenthal, Silvia (2016):

In: Niephaus, Yasemin; Kreyenfeld, Michaela; Sackmann, Reinhold (Eds.): Handbuch Bevölkerungssoziologie. Wiesbaden: Springer VS: 501–525.

Fliege, Herbert; Waibel, Stine; Rüger, Heiko; Hillmann, Julika; Ruppenthal, Silvia; Schneider, Norbert F.; Bellinger, Maria M. (2016):

International Journal of Intercultural Relations 51: 14–28.

Rüger, Heiko; Schier, Michaela; Feldhaus, Michael; Ries, Tammy (2014):

Zeitschrift für Familienforschung - Journal of Family Research 26(2): 121–143.

Viry, Gil; Rüger, Heiko; Skora, Thomas (2014):

Sociological Research Online 19(1): 78–94.

Publications about the Project "JobMob"

Further Informations on the Survey-Data

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