Traces of a mobile field : ten years of mobilities research

Faulconbridge, James and Hui, Allison (2016) Traces of a mobile field : ten years of mobilities research. Mobilities, 11 (1). pp. 1-14. ISSN 1745-0101

Abstract

Since the launch of this journal 10 years ago, the field of mobilities research has developed at a rapid pace. In this editorial introduction, we explore how this development has been curated, how the field has evolved and what maturation might mean for mobilities research. After reviewing how early editorials encouraged particular trajectories of development within mobilities research, we introduce the papers in this special issue, which build upon and re-shape key discussions that have emerged in the last decade. Drawing out issues of power, interdisciplinarity, social processes and futures, the papers raise important questions about not only how understandings of mobilities are changing, but also how the field of mobilities research is itself on the move. Taking up these themes, we examine how understanding mobilities research as a field, contributes to considerations of the potential for future struggles, fragmentation and sub-disciplines. We argue that the open nature and strategic diversity of the mobilities field has fed the successes of the past decade, and therefore needs to remain a priority in the future – with a careful balance curated between convergence around key themes and the exploration of varied ‘internal goods’ which remain an important source of inspiration and creative potential within the field.