Quantifying mobilities? Reflections on a neglected method in mobilities research

摘要

As part of the establishing of mobilities research as a new paradigm, systematic reflections on methodological implications of centre staged mobility have gathered momentum. Currently, the consensus in the debate seems to suggest that a social understanding of mobilities is best analysed through qualitative research methods, which capture the subjective sense, experienced constraints and freedoms and incorporated legitimisation of mobilities and immobilities. However, it is a whole range of numbers and quantified developments which serves as obvious legitimisation of the paradigm change. For its critics, quantitative research is associated with empiricist and positivist assumptions. Yet, in human geography, the last decades have witnessed a vivid debate on the epistemological and theoretical foundation of statistics and quantifications highlighting that equalising quantitative research with positivism is too simplistic. Drawing on this discussion, I will critically reflect on the current focus on qualitative and the ignoring of quantitative methods in mobilities research and outline a post-positivist understanding of quantifications, arguing in favour of also-quantitative methods for mobilities which can help tackling some shortcomings identified in parts of current mobilities research practice. Also from a political point of view, I propose that"numeracy"as the speaking of the language of numbers and statistics increases the chance for critique to be heard in policy-making. In addition, it is data literacy and computing skills which form the preconditions for understanding, criticising and conducting research with Big Data which may significantly shape new views on the - data-mediated - mobile social world beyond narrated textual or survey-based observations.