Congratulations to Christoph van Dülmen on his doctorate!

His cumulative dissertation, titled “Everyday mobility and social networks: Examining their interplay and impact on social inequalities in Rural Peripheries,” was an integrative part of a research project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The project, conducted from 2018 to 2022, focused on “Social Disadvantage in Rural Peripheries in Eastern Germany and in Czechia: Opportunity Structures and Individual Agency in a Comparative Perspective.” This collaborative effort involved the Thünen Institute of Rural Studies and the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

In the journal papers which make up the majority of his doctoral thesis, Christoph van Dülmen explores the significant societal question of how everyday mobility is shaped in rural peripheries and how it reproduces social inequalities, particularly under conditions of substantial dependence on car mobility. His research revealed close connections between an individual’s social network and daily mobility patterns. Furthermore, he demonstrated that while car mobility in rural peripheries can enhance life opportunities, it might also impose limitations based on forced mobility, for example when supporting persons belonging to the social network.

Contact

• Prof. Dr. Andreas Klärner (Institute of Rural Studies)
• Dr. Annett Steinführer (Institute of Rural Studies)