The influence of a low income on travel practices of older people. Results of a qualitative empirical study in the Hannover Region (Germany).

Keywords: low-income older people, transport-related social exclusion, travel practices, mobility
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 42

Abstract

Transport is a basic prerequisite for participation in public life (Lucas 2012, 2019; Schwanen et al. 2015). A lack of mobility can therefore result in people experiencing disadvantages in their social participation, such as reduced access to social activities, goods and services (Kenyon et al. 2002). Even with a transport infrastructure that enables people to reach places of daily life, the journey there must also be affordable. Thus, low-income people are particularly vulnerable to being restricted in their mobility (Delbosc und Currie 2011; Lucas et al. 2016; Serebrisky et al. 2009; Mattioli 2017).

To gain a deeper understanding of how financial poverty affects travel practices of low-income people and how they cope with their limited financial resources, we conducted 14 qualitative problem-centred interviews with low-income older people (60 years and older). We focus on older people because the potential to change one's income situation decreases with age, thus increasing the risk of remaining in poverty. Furthermore, research findings on older people’s mobility and social participation are of high social relevance regarding demographic change.

The qualitative content analysis reveals that although all respondents have similar limited financial resources, they differ in the way they cope with financial poverty, which is also apparent in their different travel practices and social activities. At the AAG 2022, I would like to present and discuss the results on low-income older people’s travel practices in relation to the topic "mobility related equity and justice issues with a focus on vulnerable populations".