Gender Issues in the Digitalized ‘Smart’ Mobility World – Conceptualization and Empirical Findings Applying a Mixed Methods Approach

Abstract

While digitalization provides a range of new mobility options, neither gender specific requirements nor role and task specific issues are part of the recent developments. Against this background, this contribution is looking into gender issues in the digitalized ‘smart’ mobility world aiming to contribute to the development of future ‘smart’ mobility options, such as autonomous driving and sharing. A conceptual model which integrates a theoretical framework on gender specific mobility patterns and technology acceptance elements is proposed and mirrored with empirical evidences from recent works of the authors. The results suggest that it is above all the fit of smart mobility options with current everyday-life situations that influences the acceptance and use of those options. The gender differences that become obvious then are due to gender differences in the everyday-life situation between women and men.