Developing ‘new’ avenues and domains in youth research: Youth mobility and transport

ABSTRACT

Mobility and transport needs, challenges and experiences are embedded in everyday life. An examination of mobility and transport issues contributes to our understanding of social change, stratification, differentiation, inequalities, structures and processes. This is an indication that sociological understandings of mobility and transport are relevant and critical to contemporary society, particularly the daily experiences and realities of marginalised and vulnerable social groups. This review paper then makes two contributions. The first demonstrates the extent to which the concepts 'mobility' and 'transport' extend our understanding of everyday lives, needs, experiences and challenges. Secondly, the paper highlights a selection of dominant and emerging themes, including the conceptual, methodological and epistemological deficiencies. This presents opportunities for further sociological accounts of youth in general and youth mobility in particular. This paper then is a 'primer' to encourage the exploration of 'new' avenues and domains within sociology in general and the Sociology of Youth or Childhood in particular.

Keywords:

• mobility
• transport
• youth
• age
• stratification
• Sociology of Youth
• children

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sharmla Rama

Sharmla Rama is a lecturer in Sociology at the School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus. She recently completed her Ph.D. titled 'Child mobility, time use and social exclusion: Reframing the discourses and debates' at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research interests include gender, child and youth mobility and transport issues.