The Psychology of the Car: Automobile Admiration, Attachment, and AddictionThe Psychology of the Car explores automotive cultures through the lens of psychology with the goal of achieving a low-carbon transport future. Worldwide there are now more than one billion cars, and their number grows continuously. Yet there is growing evidence that humanity needs to reach 'peak cars' as increased air pollution, noise, accidents, and climate change support a decline in car usage. While many governments agree, the car remains attractive, and endeavors to change transport systems have faced fierce resistance. Based on insights from a wide range of transport behaviors, The Psychology of the Car shows the "why of automotive cultures, providing new perspectives essential for understanding its attractiveness and for defining a more desirable transport future. The Psychology of the Car illustrates the growth of global car use over time and its effect on urban transport systems and the global environment. It looks at the adoption of the car into lifestyles, the "mobilities turn, and how the car impacts collective and personal identities. The book examines car drivers themselves; their personalities, preferences, and personality disorders relevant to driving. The book looks at the role power, control, dominance, speed, and gender play, as well as the interrelationship between personal freedom and law enforcement. The book explores risk-taking behaviors as accidental death is a central element of car driving. The book addresses how interventions can be successful as well as which interventions are unlikely to work, and concludes with how a more sustainable transport future can be created based on emerging transport trends. - Features deep analyses of individual and collective psychologies of car affection, moving beyond sociology-based interpretations of automobile culture - Illustrates concepts using popular culture examples that expose ideas about automobility - Shows how fewer, smaller and more environmentally friendly cars, as well as low-carbon transport modes, are more socially attractive |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 19 | |
3 Automobile Personalities and CoIdentities | 47 |
4 Feelings Emotions and the Car | 67 |
5 Automobility Gender and Sex | 103 |
6 Speed | 121 |
7 Rights Authority and the Police | 139 |
8 Community Friends Family | 171 |
Common terms and phrases
accidents ADAC advertisement aggressive driving anxieties automobile culture automotive system become bicycle campaign car choices car culture car dependency car drivers Car Movies car ownership carless days celebrities Chapter childhood cities climate change considerable context crash cycling cyclists death driving anger emotions evolutionary evolutionary social example Facebook Fast and Furious fear feelings forms fuel Germany global Gössling human important individual instance involved James Hunt Journal linked male mental Michael Schumacher million mobility models motor Nico Rosberg Niki Lauda parking perceived perceptions personal identities personality disorder Photograph Plate police public transport racers relevance result Retrieved risks road role safety sexual share Sheller social media social norms Social Psychology society specific speed limits strategies street racing suggests symbolic traffic participants Traffic Psychology traits transport behavior transport futures transport mode Transportation Research trauma trips urban Urry vehicle violations wide range YouTube