Motility and High Mobility: Chapter 6

International audienceIntroduction - Does being highly mobile require a specific set of skills, accesses and aspirations? This chapter is about motility, or people's mobility potential. Research shows that motility takes many forms and is not necessarily associated with social class. This raises the question of whether motility is a resource in its own right, vis-a-vis an individual's position in the social hierarchy and life course.In this chapter we focus specifically on the role of motility as high mobility potential, regardless of whether or not it is transformed into movement and high mobility practices. Two main considerations guide our analysis. The first is to understand how motility is distributed among the population and how it evolves over time. To do this, we distinguish between different types of motility. The second issue relates more specifically to the relationship between motility and mobility. We address the role of motility in people's relationship with high mobility, such as practising, being reluctant to or not being exposed to high mobility. In relation to this issue, we also explore the link between modal practices and motility. We address these issues with quantitative and qualitative data using both cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives