Defining geographical mobility: Perspectives from higher education

Abstract

Context is generally overlooked when selecting measures to define geographical mobility in mobility and migration research. This paper contributes to a discussion on the importance of context when defining geographical mobility and draws on examples from higher education in Sweden. Using binary logistic regression, statistical outcomes are compared when different measures of mobility to and mobility from higher education are employed. The measures produce different statistical outcomes, and these differences are illuminated when comparing results of common measures of mobility (e.g. crossing administrative boundaries or moving a certain distance) against two measures constructed specifically for Swedish higher education-related mobility. The results indicate that using municipality boundaries for measuring mobility in the Swedish higher education context is particularly inappropriate because the measure does not differentiate commuters from movers. This challenge surfaces because mobility must be determined in relation to the locations of students’ higher education institutions since administratively registered moves are unreliable in the educational context. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the geographical locations and characteristics of higher education institutions in addition to feasible commuting possibilities in research on higher education-related mobility. The two measures developed for the Swedish higher education context are identified as most appropriate because they center on the geographical distribution of higher education, and this distribution is perceived as having an important role in influencing mobility in this context. Consequently, this study accentuates the need for considering the geographical arrangement of resources (e.g. schools, hospitals) relevant to the context under investigation when determining measures to define mobility.