Understanding the travel behaviour of immigrants and how and why this changes overtime: A case study of Polish immigrants in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, UK

Snelling, Jason

Abstract

Immigrant travel behaviour is an understudied field. The small amount of existing research suggests that immigrants culturally assimilate to car-driving to conform to local travel behaviour norms. Examination of this concept with Polish immigrants in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare revealed that cultural conformity is not a driving factor in immigrants post-immigration transition towards car-driving. Instead this occurs as a consequence of the interaction of life-events, life-stage, and structural-context. Using two-stage semi-structured life-course interviews, aided by visual prompts for memory recall and analysis, the travel behaviour journeys of 26-Polish immigrants in Bristol and WSM are examined. Throughout the examination, the methodological value of visual life-history methodologies is explored, concluding that visual analytical methods increase research transparency and aid cross-case comparison.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 29, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 27, 2024
• Keywords: Immigration; travel behaviour; sustainable travel; behaviour change; assimilation; motility; cultural norms; life-course; life-history research; visual methodologies; visual analysis; life-history timelines; life-history calendars
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10985813
• Award Date: Aug 27, 2024