Intensities of mobility: kinetic energy, commotion and qualities of supercommuting

Abstract

This paper explores the intensities of long-distance commuting journeys in order to understand how bodily sensibilities become attuned to the regular mobilities which they undertake. More people are travelling farther to and from work than ever before, owing to a variety of factors which relate to complex social and geographical dynamics of transport, housing, lifestyle, and employment. Yet, the experiential dimensions of long-distance commuting have not received the attention that they deserve within research on mobilities. Drawing from fieldwork conducted in Australia, Canada, and Denmark this paper aims to further develop our collective understanding of the experiential particulars of long-distance workers or ‘supercommuters’. Rather than focusing on the extensive dimensions of mobilities that are implicated in broad social patterns and trends, our paper turns to the intensive dimensions of this experience for supercommuters by developing an understanding of embodied kinetic energy, commotion and quality. Exploring how experiences of supercommuters are constituted by a range of different material and bodily forces enables us to more sensitively consider the practical, technical, and affective implications of this increasingly prevalent yet underexplored travel practice.

Keywords:

• Commuting
• body
• affect
• transport
• intensity
• mobilities

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the encouraging comments that the reviewers provided us with, and to Kevin Hannam and Pennie Drinkall for their editorial guidance and support.

Notes

1. There are multiple definitions of supercommuters, according to specific attributes. For example one definition is a one-way journey of over 100 km, see BITRE (2012). We aim to keep our definition intentionally broad to account for this gap between shorter urban commutes and longer international journeys.

2. TV examples include the UK Channel 5 series ‘Britain’s craziest commutes’ http://www.channel5.com/show/britains-craziest-commutes. Print media examples include http://time.com/9912/10-things-your-commute-does-to-your-body/.

3. See for example http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20,141,118-the-worlds-longest-commutes; http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/08/21/i-take-a-plane-to-work-the-rise-of-supercommuting/#30bace912c12

4. Thank you to Research Assistant, Elias Melvin Christiansen who conducted the SKAAL interviews.

5. The documentary, available at https://vimeo.com/158735867 (temporary password: deHav1lland) and the research process are discussed in further detail in Vannini (forthcoming).

6. Such an anti-foundationalist understanding of bodies clearly has significant implications for thinking about mobilities, in terms of questioning the durability and stability of bodies on the move which previous modes of thinking often imply.

7. Jack is a pseudonym.