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Moving in transition

Northern Ireland youth and geographical mobility

David Cairns is a postdoctoral researcher at the Child and Family Research Centre, School of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland, Galway. Previously, he has worked for three years as a senior research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon, exploring the theme of youth and geographical mobility. His main fields of study are youth, migration and social and political life in both Ireland and Portugal. His recent publications include articles in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, the European Journal of Cultural Studies and International Migration. [email: dc_cairns{at}hotmail.com]

This article explores the geographical mobility of young people in Northern Ireland. Utilizing the results of recent empirical research conducted with a sample of university students drawn from four different academic disciplines, an overview is presented of mobility experiences in terms of where these young people are going, their main reasons for travel and the main characteristics of mobile youth. Indications of future mobility intentions are also explored, revealing that a majority of these young people (55 per cent) have intentions to live outside Northern Ireland at some stage in the future. The various forms of travel and the significance of these mobility experiences are subsequently discussed in more depth through the use of emblematic case studies, highlighting the importance of mobility in both the education-to-work transition and personal development.

Key Words: geographical mobility • Northern Ireland • third level education • transitions • youth

Young, Vol. 16, No. 3, 227-249 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/110330880801600301


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