Mobility in space and time - structuring a complex phenomenon

Abstract

Although mobility is a basic concept in international economic theory, existing approaches are not able to create a flexible framework for an analysis of mobility and the spatial dynamics resulting from it that recognizes the many facets of the phenomenon. Clearly, we cannot expect to explain the whole phenomenon of mobility in its complexity in one theory. However, even the sum of the partial explanations which existing theoretical models offer today are not sufficient. This chapter therefore is to delineate the concrete meaning of mobility as an individual competence and decision that is embedded into space and time. Afterwards different approaches of international economic theory will be analyzed more closely in part B in order to evaluate how they deal with (international) mobility.