Mobilities, Networks, Geographies (Transport and Society) (Transport and Society) (Transport and Society)

The last decade or so has seen striking increases in both long-distance travel and in communications through mobile phones, text messaging, emailing, videoconferencing and so on. Such developments in communication, along with a similar increase in physical travel and movement of goods around the globe, reconfigure social networks by disconnecting and reconnecting people in new ways. This book puts forward one of the first social science studies of the geographies of social networks and related mobilities of travel, communications and face-to-face meetings. The book examines five interdependent mobilities that form and reform these geographies of networks and travel in the contemporary world. These are: physical travel of people for work, leisure, pleasure, migration and escape; physical movement of objects delivered to producers, consumers and retailers; imaginative travel elsewhere through images and memories seen on texts, TV, computer screens and film; virtual travel on the internet; and communicative travel through letters, cards, telegrams, telephones, faxes, text messages and video conferences. In the book, the authors examine the interconnections between these different mobilities. They research how travel and social meetings require systems of coordination using virtual and communicative travel in-between physical travel and meetings. They argue that, while it might be imagined that there would be less need of physical meetings with improved ICTs, on the contrary, scheduled visits and meetings have become highly significant. The research shows that they are necessary to social life in the contemporary world, both within business and especially within families and friendships which are increasingly conducted at-a-distance. There have been striking increases in both long-distance travel and in communications through mobile phones, text messaging, emailing and videoconferencing. Such developments in communication, along with a similar increase in physical travel and movement of goods around the globe, reconfigure social networks by disconnecting and reconnecting people in new ways. This original book puts forward one of the first social science studies of the geographies of social networks and related mobilities of travel, communications and face-to-face meetings. The book examines five interdependent mobilities that form and reform these geographies of networks and travel in the contemporary world. These are: physical travel of people for work, leisure, pleasure, migration and escape; physical movement of objects delivered to producers, consumers and retailers; imaginative travel elsewhere through images and memories seen on texts, TV, computer screens and film; virtual travel on the internet; and communicative travel through letters, cards, telegrams, telephones, faxes, text messages and videoconferences. In the book the authors examine the interconnections between these different mobilities. They research how travel and social meetings require systems of coordination using virtual and communicative travel in-between physical travel and meetings. They argue that, while it might be imagined that there would be less need of physical meetings with improved technology, on the contrary, scheduled visits and meetings have become highly significant. The research shows that they are necessary to social life in the contemporary world, both within business and, especially, within families and friendships which are increasingly conducted at a distance. Puts forward a social science study of the geographies of social networks and related mobilities of travel, communications and face-to-face meetings. This book examines five interdependent mobilities that form and reform these geographies of networks and travel in the contemporary world. The last decade or so has seen striking increases in both long-distance travel and in communications through mobile phones, text messaging, emailing, videoconferencing and so on. Such developments in communication, along with a similar increase in physical travel and movement of goods around the globe, reconfigure social networks by disconnecting and reconnecting people in new ways. This book puts forward one of the first social science studies of the geographies of social networks and related mobilities of travel, communications and face-to-face meetings. The book examines five interdependent mobilities that form and reform these geographies of networks and travel in the contemporary world. These are: physical travel of people for work, leisure, pleasure, migration and escape; physical movement of objects delivered to producers, consumers and retailers; imaginative travel elsewhere through images and memories seen on texts, TV, computer screens and film; virtual travel on the internet; and communicative travel through letters, cards, telegrams, telephones, faxes, text messages and video conferences Contents......Page 6 List of Figures, Maps and Tables......Page 7 Preface......Page 8 1 Researching Networks and Travel: An Introduction......Page 10 2 Social Networks......Page 20 3 Meetings and Networks......Page 38 4 Mobilities......Page 56 5 Research Design......Page 72 6 Geographies of Networks and Mobilities......Page 82 7 Travel and Meetings......Page 106 8 Coordinating Networks and Travel......Page 124 9 Research and Policy Futures......Page 138 Appendix A: Distances To and Locations of Significant Others......Page 146 Appendix B: Distribution of Distances by Rank......Page 156 References......Page 158 D......Page 174 I......Page 175 P......Page 176 T......Page 177 W......Page 178 Contents 6 List of Figures, Maps and Tables 7 Preface 8 1 Researching Networks and Travel: An Introduction 10 2 Social Networks 20 3 Meetings and Networks 38 4 Mobilities 56 5 Research Design 72 6 Geographies of Networks and Mobilities 82 7 Travel and Meetings 106 8 Coordinating Networks and Travel 124 9 Research and Policy Futures 138 Appendix A: Distances To and Locations of Significant Others 146 Appendix B: Distribution of Distances by Rank 156 References 158 Index 174 A 174 B 174 C 174 D 174 E 175 F 175 G 175 H 175 I 175 J 176 K 176 L 176 M 176 N 176 O 176 P 176 Q 177 R 177 S 177 T 177 U 178 V 178 W 178 'Time-space compression' is said to characterize modern societies (Harvey 1989).