Call for Papers - Innovative Perspectives on Population Mobility: Mobility, Immobility and Well-being

Innovative Perspectives on Population Mobility: Mobility, Immobility and Well-being

2nd-3rd July 2012
Hosted by the University of St Andrews

The ESRC Centre for Population Change (CPC) and the RGS-IBG Population Geography Research Group invite contributions for a conference on innovative perspectives on population mobility. This conference will be held in St. Andrews on 2nd and 3rd July 2012.

Population mobility is one of the key components of demographic change in contemporary Western societies. Given the strong links between mobility and spatial processes in housing and labour markets, the current economic crisis and rapidly rising levels of ethnic diversity provide impetus for looking afresh at how we conceptualise and investigate population mobility. Motivations for moving arise from an entangled mix of economic and non-economic factors. Understanding why people move and the (un)intentional consequences of mobility therefore requires consideration of perceptions of subjective wellbeing, as well as economic gain.

Increasingly diverse household structures and more complex life course trajectories (across educational, employment and housing 'life careers') make it ever more important to understand migration events and the impacts of moving within the context of long-term individual and household biographies. Furthermore, understanding how the outcomes of mobility vary for different social groups and across different geographical spaces is also of value. Developing new longitudinal techniques and harnessing new sources of data on migration decision-making and behaviour are therefore key mechanisms to help understand the new geographies of mobility. As Western populations age, understanding why people do not move and the consequences this immobility could have for individuals, households and geographical regions is also of great policy relevance.

The conference will have two strands. The first strand will showcase and critically discuss the principle findings of the first three years of the ESRC's Centre for Population Change research programme, with particular reference to population mobility and well-being (mainly focussed on UK-based research using a range of secondary datasets such as the BHPS). Rapporteurs will evaluate and critique a range of innovative research undertaken under this multi-disciplinary programme.

The second strand, which is the focus of this call for papers, invites other researchers (such as members of the RGS PGRG) to present papers on a range of new approaches to the study of population mobility, immobility and wellbeing, as well as on other innovative concepts or data sources relevant to analysing mobility. International case studies will be particularly welcome. Contributions in this strand could address (but are not limited to) the following topics:

1) Population mobility and human wellbeing

2) New data sources and techniques to analyse mobility decision-making behaviour

3) Population (im)mobility in times of economic uncertainty

Abstracts of 100-200 words should be submitted to Rory Coulter, Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St Andrews: e-mail <rcc28@st-andrews.ac.uk> by 29th February 2012. Notification of abstract acceptance will be acknowledged by email by 8th March 2012. Rory Coulter and Allan Findlay <amf21@st-andrews.ac.uk> are also happy to answer any questions about the meeting.

Further Particulars: The St Andrews meeting is timed to fit with the RGS Annual Conference, being held in Edinburgh 3-5th July 2012. The St Andrews conference session on Tuesday 3rd July will finish in time to allow those delegates who wish to travel to Edinburgh to arrive for afternoon sessions on 3rd July. Registration and details about booking accommodation (in New College, St Andrews) will be circulated in early March.

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