Analysing mobility biographies with the life course calendar: a retrospective survey methodology for longitudinal data collection

Robert Schoenduwe, Michel G. Mueller, Anja Peters and Martin Lanzendorf

Journal of Transport Geography, 2015, vol. 42, issue C, 98-109

Abstract: Transportation research is in need of longitudinal data to better understand travel behaviour. This paper describes a new survey method to collect longitudinal data, called the life course calendar. We discuss the need for and the uses of this instrument with reference to specific case study material and explore to what extent the life course calendar is suitable for the study of individual life courses and travel behaviour. In the first part of this article we give an overview of current research on the causal relationships between certain life events and travel behaviour. Based on the outcomes of the literature review we analyse life course calendars of 646 respondents. Considering the explorative character of our case study material the results are quite promising. Most notably information on car purchases, on relocations, and changes of the work place has been well recorded which indicates that the life course calendar is suited for the study of changes of spatial contexts and accessibility. The data analysis has provided initial results on the distribution of key events over the life course and on the relation of such events to changes in travel behaviour. Significant effects were found for key events such as relocation, change of job, birth of first child, separation/divorce, moving in with partner and retirement. The life course calendar can be advantageous, especially if it is employed to supplement extensive panel studies.

Keywords: Mobility biography; Travel behaviour; Life course approach; Life course calendar; Survey methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (31)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692314002452

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:42:y:2015:i:c:p:98-109

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.12.001

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Transport Geography is currently edited by Frank Witlox

More articles in Journal of Transport Geography from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().