Automobile’s Contribution to Identity in America Essay -- Automobile C

The Automobiles Contribution to individuation in America Nostalgia, Nationalism and StatusIntroductionOver one(a) billion cars have been manufactured field-wide in the past century, with nearly 700 billion on the road today (Urry, 2006). As important as flight, computers, and stack communication, the simple machine has been a key contributor to the growth and globalization of our world (Sheller, 2000). While the automobile is rarely the topic of sociological discussion and cultural study, this article will discuss the iconicism of the automobile and how it bring ins to an individuals identity element.For near this is the Volkswagen Beetle a car that embodies nostalgia and the by-gone era of the 60s (Wilson, 2005). For others, the identity is the nationalism and pride invoked by owning a car that typifies a true(p) red-blooded American (Edensor, 2004). And for others identity is defined by the status or image a car provides (Belk, 1988). These three aspects of identity wil l be used to discuss and answer my research question How does the automobile contribute to identity in America?As the owner of a vintage 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle, I have always been curious about the confederation of nostalgia that is common amongst Volkswagen owners, prior owners and admirers. This infectious enthusiasm for the Volkswagen between owners combined with a general interest in the themes of how icons are born and the perceived societal status bestowed upon their owners have prompted me to write this article.2The Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic automobile that for many, imparts nostalgia (Wilson, 2005). The camaraderie and coming-of-age that is personified by the Volkswagen is a common, underlying characteristic amongst those who strongly depict with ... ...rica. New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc.* Levinson, H. (2004). Highways, People, and Places Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 130 (4), 406 412.Macworld. (2003). Volkswagen, Apple aggroup Up In Pods Unite Promotion. http//www.macworld.com/news/2003/07/15/vw/, Accessed December 9, 2006.* Sheller, M. (2000). The City and the Car. internationalistic Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 24 (4), 737 757.* Sheller, M. (2004). Automotive Emotions Feeling the Car. Theory, last & Society, 21 (4/5), 221242.* Urry, J. (2006). Inhabiting the Car. The Editorial Board of the Sociological Review, 54 (1), 17 31.Vanden Bergh, B. (1992). Volkswagen as Little Man. Journal of American Culture, 15 (4), 95 119.* Wilson, J. (2005). Nostalgia Sanctuary of Meaning. Lewisburg Bucknell University Press.* Denotes pedantic source.10