Active, passive and hybrid multilocal living practices - towards a classification

Abstract

The accelerated pace of life, increased mobility and the individualisation of society have yielded a variety of postmodern living and housing environments. The proliferation of multilocal living practices can be understood as part of this change. Research on multilocality often focuses exclusively on those who reside in several places. The sedentary members of the same household, who remain at the primary residence and whose lives are significantly influenced by the rhythmic absence of the mobile members, are largely overlooked. Furthermore, the quantitative estimates of the extent of multilocal practices, based on official data, are currently insufficient. The aim of this study is to classify multi-local lifestyles to capture the diversity and complexity of these living practices, thereby expanding scholarly understanding of multilocality in its numerical entirety. To achieve this, a representative survey using a largely standardized questionnaire was conducted in two major city regions in Germany in the spring of 2023. The data from the study identified specific types of multilocality: active, passive, and hybrid multilocals, each exhibiting distinct characteristics. The integration of these multilocality types into the structure of multilocal households enables a classification that provides a framework for understanding how such households are organized and how they manage their mobility and residential practices. It is argued that all members of a multilocal household are significantly influenced by practises of multilocality, leading to a constant negotiation of their everyday lives.