Är pendling ett aktivt val eller något nödvändigt ont? : En studie om arbetspendlingens påverkan på människor i Valdemarsvik

The study aims to investigate which factors determine why people who live in Valdemarsvik commute to work and how work commuting affects their everyday lives. In order to find such factors, five individuals were interviewed and the same five individuals also answered survey questions. More and more people commute to and from work in Sweden. The reason for why humans today travel greater distances physically is because many have access to a car. This means that more people can travel farther for work, then return back to their home when the work day is over. People can also move even greater distances through virtual mobility and all the communication technologies that exist. Crucial factors in determining why people in Valdemarsvik choose to commute are the love for the place and the desire to live in Valdemarsvik specifically and to be close to family and friends. Some of the participants in this study have moved back to Valdemarsvik with commuting as a result. For the participants in the study, the car is necessary to be able to get to and from work. Given the lack of public transportation to the south and west, it is not possible to get to work if the individual does not have access to a car and a driving license. The participants in the study believe that car-sharing is not an option because they do not want to be dependent on someone else or having to take someone else into account. Commuting to work affects the everyday life of the individuals in several ways. Work commuting leads to fatigue and limits the amount of time available. It’s difficult to be at a certain place at a certain time, which means that the participants may refrain from leisure activities. Several of the participants in the study made a conscious choice to move back to Valdemarsvik and there are no particular circumstances that would cause them to quit work commuting. On the other hand, if several different factors were to interfere with each other, commuting to work could become unsustainable. There are also positive factors associated with commuting, such as the opportunity for a better job and better finances. The advantage of time geography is that it is based on each individual. If the teacher uses time geography in their teaching, students can develop knowledge about how different factors in society affect their choices, but also how the choices they make themselves affect the world in which they live.