Social Mobility Europe 2030

Abstract

Mobility is becoming a crucial factor to define contemporary social life. It
 has changed the relationship between government and economy, public and private, work and life, shaping a world that promotes unconstrained movements of people, products, consumption and working subjects. The fundamental redefinition of established social, political and economic structures and relations (Ephemera, 2015) resulted in emergent mobile practices, relations and on a language of mobility that strongly influences modernity. In recent studies, researchers are exploring the increasingly deeper connection between specific forms of mobility and distribution of life-chances. Mobility is becoming strictly linked to issues as social inequality, rights and democracy, and therefore intrinsically political (Baerenholdt, 2013). Governments are looking at mobility as a chance for economic growth, social inclusion and development. Making use of the ‘Vision in Product’ explorative approach, this project focuses on providing an innovative framework to be used as a tool to understand and upgrade the future expressions of Social Mobility in the context of Europe 2030. The model proposed aims to help designers, policy makers and public administrations reframe and create solutions for the future, inclusive to the new cultures emerging and defining modernity. The model value is further explained through the service ‘GLEU: the Glocal European Mobility Network’ developed with the use of the model. GLEU proposes a transformation of the format of a long-term civic commitment into a new culture promoting short-term social engagement, channeling the future flow of social mobility. The service promotes the idea that being mobile doesn’t mean leaving social responsibilities behind but will stress out how travelling per se can be a form of contribution to society. It challenges the common preconception that states how what it is good for the individual is bad for the society, and vice-versa. Recognising the mobile citizens as a transnational resource of Europe, a distinct group of people expressing the new culture of social mobility is identified in the Eurovers. The title ‘Eurover’ originates from the words Europe and Rover.
A Rover is defined as a person that wanders, not just in the sense of physical movement but also indicating a department further away from civilisation. Challenging the idea that individuals and society have different goals that can’t be aligned, this project proposes a new form of rovers, wanderers of civilisation able to create and exchange value among themselves and within Europe. Looking at mobility beyond individuals geographical movements only, this project explores the social, symbolic, economical and personal dimensions of mobility. Defining Social Mobility as the intersection between different forms of work, mobility and personal identity.