Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions

This paper explores whether gender-based commuting gaps change in Sweden in times when policies at various levels seek to promote both spatially extended labour markets and gender equality. We use Swedish national travel survey data from 1994–1995 and 2005–2006 to explore inequality in terms of dist...

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Main Authors: Ana Gil Solá, Bertil Vilhelmson
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Unité Mixte de Recherche 8504 Géographie-cités 2012-02-01
Series:Cybergeo
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cybergeo/25141
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author Ana Gil Solá
Bertil Vilhelmson
author_facet Ana Gil Solá
Bertil Vilhelmson
author_sort Ana Gil Solá
collection DOAJ
description This paper explores whether gender-based commuting gaps change in Sweden in times when policies at various levels seek to promote both spatially extended labour markets and gender equality. We use Swedish national travel survey data from 1994–1995 and 2005–2006 to explore inequality in terms of distance, time use, speed, and car use. Special attention is paid to the urban regions of Malmö and Göteborg, as they display large and diverging changes over time. Results indicate that both women and men in Sweden increased daily commuting distance over the period, and that the gender gap slightly decreased. Both women and men spent more time commuting than using faster transport systems to extend their labour market access. Women still commute by slower means of transport than do men, and this did not change substantially. At the regional level, average commuting distances for women and men converged in the Malmö region, in contrast to increased divergence in the Göteborg region. Convergence in Malmö was mainly associated with women extending their daily travel, while divergence in Göteborg depended on men extending theirs. Changed access to cars does not seem to be the main explanation of the observed difference in commuting distance between women and men in the two regions indicating that gender-related changes are largely contingent on region-specific factors.
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spelling doaj-art-d93997873cc24f06a84968c141adba812025-08-20T03:39:53ZdeuUnité Mixte de Recherche 8504 Géographie-citésCybergeo1278-33662012-02-0110.4000/cybergeo.25141Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regionsAna Gil SoláBertil VilhelmsonThis paper explores whether gender-based commuting gaps change in Sweden in times when policies at various levels seek to promote both spatially extended labour markets and gender equality. We use Swedish national travel survey data from 1994–1995 and 2005–2006 to explore inequality in terms of distance, time use, speed, and car use. Special attention is paid to the urban regions of Malmö and Göteborg, as they display large and diverging changes over time. Results indicate that both women and men in Sweden increased daily commuting distance over the period, and that the gender gap slightly decreased. Both women and men spent more time commuting than using faster transport systems to extend their labour market access. Women still commute by slower means of transport than do men, and this did not change substantially. At the regional level, average commuting distances for women and men converged in the Malmö region, in contrast to increased divergence in the Göteborg region. Convergence in Malmö was mainly associated with women extending their daily travel, while divergence in Göteborg depended on men extending theirs. Changed access to cars does not seem to be the main explanation of the observed difference in commuting distance between women and men in the two regions indicating that gender-related changes are largely contingent on region-specific factors.https://journals.openedition.org/cybergeo/25141commutingmobilitygenderlabour/labor market
spellingShingle Ana Gil Solá
Bertil Vilhelmson
Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions
Cybergeo
commuting
mobility
gender
labour/labor market
title Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions
title_full Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions
title_fullStr Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions
title_full_unstemmed Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions
title_short Convergence or divergence? Changing gender differences in commuting in two Swedish urban regions
title_sort convergence or divergence changing gender differences in commuting in two swedish urban regions
topic commuting
mobility
gender
labour/labor market
url https://journals.openedition.org/cybergeo/25141
work_keys_str_mv AT anagilsola convergenceordivergencechanginggenderdifferencesincommutingintwoswedishurbanregions
AT bertilvilhelmson convergenceordivergencechanginggenderdifferencesincommutingintwoswedishurbanregions