Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LIFELONGMOVE (Understanding spatial mobility from early life into adulthood)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2025-06-30
Moving house, region or country are important and recurrent experiences already from an early age. The growing socio-economic disparities across households are affecting children’s resources and how they experience mobility. Moving, which is stressful and disruptive for children, often has a negative impact on cognitive, behavioural, and health outcomes for children, particularly among those from disadvantaged origins. However, moving does not always have negative consequences for children, and experiences that are deemed positive may contribute to building important resources and skills to support future mobility decisions. Yet the extent to which such contrasting moving experiences in childhood contribute to diversity in life paths and stratified outcomes in adulthood is yet to be set. Paradoxically, there is no cross-fertilization between the voluminous bodies of research that study spatial mobility in childhood and in adulthood separately. This limits our ability to understand how moving during childhood shape life chances and outcomes in later life stages. Significantly, this overlooks well-established findings on the significance of childhood experiences for later life outcomes.
LIFELONGMOVE is the first research project that comprehensively examines spatial mobility over a lifetime, from early age into adulthood. It brings together and integrates bodies of research that study spatial mobility in childhood and in adulthood separately, and provides new insight on the pathways, resources, and strategies that underlie lifetime mobility. This insight will help formulate alternatives to the conventional explanations of spatial mobility patterns, behaviours, and stratified outcomes over the life course.
The project’s three main innovative objectives are
(1) to document the diverse and complex pathways of lifetime mobility, from early childhood into adulthood;
(2) to establish whether and how childhood mobility influences spatial mobility over the life course; and
(3) to document the impact of lifetime mobility on life conditions, by focusing on socio-economic, family, and health outcomes.
LIFELONGMOVE innovates by adopting a novel approach that recognizes the experiences and resources accumulated since an early age that underlie the rationales, opportunities, and restrictions for mobility behaviour, and their associated outcomes in a later age. The project breaks new ground by examining longitudinal datasets from a range of European contexts, using a series of advanced quantitative methods.
LIFELONGMOVE is the first research project that comprehensively examines spatial mobility over a lifetime, from early age into adulthood. It brings together and integrates bodies of research that study spatial mobility in childhood and in adulthood separately, and provides new insight on the pathways, resources, and strategies that underlie lifetime mobility. This insight will help formulate alternatives to the conventional explanations of spatial mobility patterns, behaviours, and stratified outcomes over the life course.
The project’s three main innovative objectives are
(1) to document the diverse and complex pathways of lifetime mobility, from early childhood into adulthood;
(2) to establish whether and how childhood mobility influences spatial mobility over the life course; and
(3) to document the impact of lifetime mobility on life conditions, by focusing on socio-economic, family, and health outcomes.
LIFELONGMOVE innovates by adopting a novel approach that recognizes the experiences and resources accumulated since an early age that underlie the rationales, opportunities, and restrictions for mobility behaviour, and their associated outcomes in a later age. The project breaks new ground by examining longitudinal datasets from a range of European contexts, using a series of advanced quantitative methods.
In the first reporting period, the LIFELONGMOVE project advanced migration research by applying a life-course trajectory approach to address gaps in understanding the link between childhood and adulthood migration, the diversity of mobility patterns, and the long-term effects of migration experiences. These contributions were supported by novel statistical methodologies, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the use of underutilized longitudinal data infrastructures.
1. Understanding Spatial Mobility Patterns from Early Life into Adulthood
Existing research often treats child and adult migration separately and oversimplifies mobility patterns. Using algortihmic and model-based methodological approaches, we document substantial variation in migration trajectories and find that childhood mobility shapes adult movement in diverse ways. We also documented that internal and international migration (within Europe) are often interdependent over the individual life course. By applying a life-course trajectory approach, we document processes such as lifetime sedentarism, return migration, and circular migration, offering a more refined understanding of mobility over the life course.
2. The Influence of Early-Life Mobility on Future Migration
While migration often recurs over an individual’s life and across generations, the mechanisms behind this remain debated. Our research finds that childhood migration and parental mobility increase migration aspirations, but intended destinations differ across groups. We also studied the role of social networks, socio-spatial identity, and personal agency in shaping future mobility decisions. Our findings refine theories on migration determinants by revealing both self-reinforcing patterns and counteracting mechanisms, emphasizing how early experiences shape later-life mobility in socially and economically differentiated ways.
3. Long-Term Consequences of Lifelong Mobility
Prior research suggests childhood moves can have negative effects on education and well-being, while adult migration is often linked to economic gains. Our findings show that childhood mobility affects later-life outcomes beyond social background, but impacts vary by early-life migration trajectories. Subsequent moves can mitigate or reinforce early disadvantages, underlining the cumulative nature of migration effects. Importantly, we find that long-term residential trajectories are stronger predictors of socioeconomic and health outcomes than current location, challenging conventional research approaches.
By leveraging longitudinal data and applying advanced statistical methods, the LIFELONGMOVE project is pioneering new analytical frameworks. The project’s contributions have been presented at major conferences, and shared in dissemination and training events organized by the team, reinforcing its impact on migration and life-course research.
1. Understanding Spatial Mobility Patterns from Early Life into Adulthood
Existing research often treats child and adult migration separately and oversimplifies mobility patterns. Using algortihmic and model-based methodological approaches, we document substantial variation in migration trajectories and find that childhood mobility shapes adult movement in diverse ways. We also documented that internal and international migration (within Europe) are often interdependent over the individual life course. By applying a life-course trajectory approach, we document processes such as lifetime sedentarism, return migration, and circular migration, offering a more refined understanding of mobility over the life course.
2. The Influence of Early-Life Mobility on Future Migration
While migration often recurs over an individual’s life and across generations, the mechanisms behind this remain debated. Our research finds that childhood migration and parental mobility increase migration aspirations, but intended destinations differ across groups. We also studied the role of social networks, socio-spatial identity, and personal agency in shaping future mobility decisions. Our findings refine theories on migration determinants by revealing both self-reinforcing patterns and counteracting mechanisms, emphasizing how early experiences shape later-life mobility in socially and economically differentiated ways.
3. Long-Term Consequences of Lifelong Mobility
Prior research suggests childhood moves can have negative effects on education and well-being, while adult migration is often linked to economic gains. Our findings show that childhood mobility affects later-life outcomes beyond social background, but impacts vary by early-life migration trajectories. Subsequent moves can mitigate or reinforce early disadvantages, underlining the cumulative nature of migration effects. Importantly, we find that long-term residential trajectories are stronger predictors of socioeconomic and health outcomes than current location, challenging conventional research approaches.
By leveraging longitudinal data and applying advanced statistical methods, the LIFELONGMOVE project is pioneering new analytical frameworks. The project’s contributions have been presented at major conferences, and shared in dissemination and training events organized by the team, reinforcing its impact on migration and life-course research.
The LIFELONGMOVE project has made significant contributions to the study of migration and mobility, advancing the field beyond the existing state-of-the-art in multiple ways.
Instead of looking at migration as a single event, the project takes a life-course trajectory approach, showing how people move at different stages of life and how these moves are connected to key life events. A key innovation of the project is that it bridges the gap between research on migration in childhood and adulthood, integrating these often separate strands of literature. This helps us see how early-life moves and living conditions influence future migration patterns and long-term well-being, including economic and health outcomes. By demonstrating the cumulative and interdependent nature of migration trajectories, the project provides novel insights into migration patterns and its consequences over the life course.
Another breakthrough of the project is its innovative use of underexplored European longitudinal data infrastructures in migration and mobility research, including register data from Finland, Sweden, and Spain, as well as cohort studies, household panel surveys, and other longitudinal surveys from various EU nations. Through strategic international collaborations, the project has overcome access restrictions and navigated complex methodological challenges, demonstrating the feasibility and immense value of using longitudinal data to study migration patterns and its consequences over the life course.
Finally, the project has pioneered the use of novel statistical methodologies to analyse long-term mobility trajectories and their impacts. By developing and applying algorithmic and model-based techniques, the team has been able to capture the diversity and complexity of migration trajectories, as well as assess how early and repeated migration events shape later outcomes. This work sets a new standard for methodological innovation within migration research, expanding the field’s analytical capabilities.
Instead of looking at migration as a single event, the project takes a life-course trajectory approach, showing how people move at different stages of life and how these moves are connected to key life events. A key innovation of the project is that it bridges the gap between research on migration in childhood and adulthood, integrating these often separate strands of literature. This helps us see how early-life moves and living conditions influence future migration patterns and long-term well-being, including economic and health outcomes. By demonstrating the cumulative and interdependent nature of migration trajectories, the project provides novel insights into migration patterns and its consequences over the life course.
Another breakthrough of the project is its innovative use of underexplored European longitudinal data infrastructures in migration and mobility research, including register data from Finland, Sweden, and Spain, as well as cohort studies, household panel surveys, and other longitudinal surveys from various EU nations. Through strategic international collaborations, the project has overcome access restrictions and navigated complex methodological challenges, demonstrating the feasibility and immense value of using longitudinal data to study migration patterns and its consequences over the life course.
Finally, the project has pioneered the use of novel statistical methodologies to analyse long-term mobility trajectories and their impacts. By developing and applying algorithmic and model-based techniques, the team has been able to capture the diversity and complexity of migration trajectories, as well as assess how early and repeated migration events shape later outcomes. This work sets a new standard for methodological innovation within migration research, expanding the field’s analytical capabilities.