Geographical Mobility of the Tertiary Educated – Perspectives from Education and Social Space
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to illuminate the complexity of measuring and
understanding patterns of geographical mobility from higher education to
employment. This is done by employing an educationally oriented social space
perspective through a series of three complimentary papers and an integrated
discussion. This topic is important for educational research because higher
education institutions are expected to attract and retain tertiary educated
individuals in their regional labor markets, and researching geographical
mobility at the national level gives insight on the regional distribution of these
individuals.
Study I summarizes peer-reviewed literature on national geographical
mobility of the tertiary educated from a European perspective. The study
discusses how regional characteristics, education, and demographic factors are
most often cited as influencing mobility propensity and destination after
higher education among the tertiary educated. The study draws attention to
the prevalence of economic perspectives and lack of a relational interpretation
of these factors. Therefore, this study contributes a discussion on “social
space” as an approach to understanding the interrelationships of these factors.
Examples of how research on higher education mobility can develop by using
the concept “social space” and a discussion of social space from four
philosophical starting points ensue.
The empirical basis for the two other studies is Swedish register data for
individuals born between 1973 and 1982. From a spatial perspective, Study II
focuses on methodological issues in studying geographical mobility at the
national level. Binary logistic regression is used to examine changes in
statistical outcomes when different measures of geographical mobility are
employed. The study emphasizes the importance of context, specifically the
need for selecting measures that are meaningful to higher education when
higher education-related mobility is under investigation.
Study III uses a gender perspective to examine Swedish tertiary educated
individuals of rural origins who return to rural areas after higher education.
Gender-divided binary logistic regression is used to examine the relationship
of social space and destination after higher education. Findings from this
study indicate that although there are social space characteristics common to
men and women that influence their probability of returning to rural areas,
there are gender differences in the degree of influence for many of these
characteristics.
Finally, the integrated discussion examines the reciprocal nature of
geographical mobility and social space, which is an underlying theme in the
three studies. Specifically, this discussion is based on the premise that mobility
after higher education influences and is influenced by social space. Each of
the perspectives used in the three studies (i.e. European, spatial, and gender)
are reflected upon in relation to this reciprocal relationship.
Parts of work
I. Haley, A. (2016). Through a social space lens – Interpreting migration of
the tertiary educated. European Educational Research Journal, 15(4), 480-490. ::doi::10.1177/1474904116630316 II. Haley, A. (2017). Defining geographical mobility: Perspectives from higher
education. Geoforum, 83, 50-59. ::doi::10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.04.013 III. Haley, A. (Submitted). Returning to rural origins after higher education –
Gendered social space.
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
University
Göteborgs universitet. Utbildningsvetenskapliga fakulteten
University of Gothenburg. Faculty of Education
Institution
Department of Education and Special Education ; Institutionen för pedagogik och specialpedagogik
Disputation
Onsdagen den 20 september 2017, kl. 10.00, Pedagogen, Göteborgs universitet, Lokal AK2 136
Date of defence
2017-09-20
aimee.haley@gu.se
Date
2017-08-29Author
Haley, Aimee
Keywords
higher education
geographical mobility
social space
gender
rural
Publication type
Doctoral thesis
ISBN
978-91-7346-924-1 (pdf)
978-91-7346-923-4 (print)
ISSN
0436-1121
Series/Report no.
Gothenburg Studies in Educational Sciences 401
Language
eng