Intersectional Inequalities in Lifestyle-led Work Mobilities: Reflections from Germany and Portugal

In the context of increasing mobile and decentralised working models in creative and knowledge work, the dissertation project examines the resulting (unequal) multi-local working and living patterns. The dissertation project argues that digital, mobile and/or remote working models tend to reinforce inequalities in the context of the spatial and gender-specific division of labour as well as unequal geographical developments between urban and rural or southern and northern European countries. Therefore, the project addresses the power imbalances associated with lifestyle-related labour mobilities by examining how mobile workers use their relatively privileged position in the new spatial context of arrival. By focussing on their socio-spatial practices and the negotiation of their own position within the local environment, the dissertation project provides insights into how lifestyle-led labour mobilities influence local communities and socio-spatial transformations.

The work is supervised by Prof. Dr Suntje Schmidt and Prof. Dr Antonie Schmiz and is based at the Institute of Geography at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.