Are energy-intensive life-images fading? The cultural meaning of the automobile in transition

Abstract

The paper focuses on the symbolic significance of energy consuming technology. It analyzes the case of the automobile and demonstrates that it cannot be considered just a technical device for transporting people but that it is also a cultural symbol infused with desires, meanings and life-images. The origins, the content and the dynamics of the meaning of the automobile are explored in order to identify the cultural transformations that are implied in a transition to a low-energy society and, possibly, to a low-speed society. The first section of the paper sets out the patterns of life-conceptions centered around the automobile and the second section examines actual counterforces that undermine this car-oriented life-style and which lead to a disenchantment with the automobile. It is concluded that the images of a desirable society are less and less associated with cars, but that the car, however, appears to be an inevitable necessity.