A practice-based approach to the conceptualisation of geographical mobility

Abstract

Geographical mobility increases in all domains and on all spatial scales: tourism practices, migrations, business trips, commuting, leisure circulation and so on. It has become an important phenomenon for research in the social sciences. Nevertheless, attempts at conceptualisation are still heavily limited because mobility is rarely viewed as a system in which the ensemble of movements are linked. It has become necessary to adopt a comprehensive approach towards mobility that focuses on the various practices employed and that targets the different types of mobility. Indeed, the following questions are raised: how should the numerous circulations and migrations be conceived and interpreted? How can the different population movements be classified? In this paper we will attempt to adopt an original approach: to classify different practices of mobility using a «geographical code of practice». This code takes into account the conditions in which movements occur and the characteristics of the geographical sites involved. In this way, we hope to contribute to a theory of geographical mobility which leads to a new appreciation of the ways individuals dwell in geographical places.