Socio-Empirical Research on Leisure Mobility

Mobility and Life-style Analysis

Götz, K./W. Loose/M. Schmied/S. Schubert (2002): Mobility Styles in Leisure Time. Final Report for the Project "Reduction of Environmental Damage Caused by Leisure and Tourism Traffic". Commissioned by the Federal Environmental Agency - pdf-file 188 kb

Project:

Duration :

09/1998-06/2002
finished

Socio-Empirical Research on Leisure Mobility

The project - carried out on behalf of the Umweltbundesamt - deals with the problem of ecological impact of leisure mobility. Two phases of socio-empirical research - qualitative and quantitativ - are undertaken to find out target groups for measures to reduce individual car use. The research method is based on the ISOE-approach of "mobility styles". This means to explore the social background (Lebensstile), the mobility orientations and the traffic behaviour of different groups.

Parts of the project results refer to the qualitative step of empirical research:

People have different ways to frame leisure. They mark off leisure both from working life and housework. There are some underprivileged groups - like poor single parents - who have not at all any leisure time. And there are other groups - unemployed and pensioners - who are not able to deal with the problem of having too much time (this is not the same as having too much leisure time).
One of the reasons of leisure mobility is the fact that people - mostly women - want to be out of the house because there is always to do work.
Quite other motives charakterize the group of adventure seekers with adventure sport activities. They seem to cause very high rates of leisure traffic. After the quantitative step of empirical research the size of the group will be known.
In some groups using the car is a life-style symbol which is strongly connected with the leisure activity practised.
In the group of fun oriented young man, driving around with friends in the car is a way to be out socializing. Driving around alone with the car sometimes is a way to find psychological balance.
In general the reasons of leisure mobility are very plausible: It is the normal way to hold relationships with friends and relevants under the conditions of disperse locations. So leisure mobility is the normal method to hold social contact.
A very modern way to do this are trips to meet internet resp. chat group acquaintances.
To find measures to change traffic-behaviour has to take into account the difference between traffic as a means of coming from one point to the other and driving which is fun itself.

The qualitative results are to be seen as hypothesis to be proved in the representative part of the project.

The results are published in the Discussion-Paper (only availabe in german):

Konrad Götz/Willi Loose/Steffi Schubert (2001): Forschungsergebnisse zur Freizeitmobilität. ISOE-DP 7, DM 7.-

Project:

Project head:

Project team:

Client:

Cooperation:

Duration :

Socio-Empirical Research on Leisure Mobility

A short version of the final report is published in english: