Race, Taste, Class and Cars: Culture, Meaning and Identity (21st Century Standpoints)

Love them or hate them, most of us have an opinion about cars. If not the cars themselves, then it's driver competence and behaviour that can offend us. And then there's modification: alloy wheels, custom audio systems and bespoke paint jobs. For some, changing the look, feel and sound of a car says something about themselves, but for others, such enhancements signify a lack of taste, or even criminality. In subtle and complex ways, cars transmit and modify our identities behind the wheel. As a symbol of independence and freedom, the car projects status, class, taste and, significantly, embeds racialisation. Using fascinating research from drivers, including first-person accounts as well as exploring hip-hop music and car-related TV shows, Alam unpicks the ways in which identity is rehearsed, enhanced, interpreted. 01.0_pp_i_ii_Frontmatter 1 02.0_pp_iii_iv_Dedication 3 03.0_pp_v_vi_Miscellaneous_Frontmatter 5 04.0_pp_vii_vii_Contents 7 05.0_pp_viii_viii_List_of_Figures 8 06.0_pp_ix_ix_About_the_Author 9 07.0_pp_x_xi_Acknowledgements 10 08.0_pp_xii_xiv_Preface 12 09.0_pp_1_18_Introduction 15 10.0_pp_19_30_Researching_Bradford_Putting_the_Auto_into_Ethnography 33 11.0_pp_31_60_Communicating_Cars_Television_Popular_Music_and_Everyday_Life 45 12.0_pp_61_86_Consuming_Cars_Class_Ethnicity_and_Taste 75 13.0_pp_87_114_Car_Work_Production_Consumption_and_Modification 101 14.0_pp_115_138_Social_Psychology_Cars_and_Multi-Ethnic_Spaces 129 15.0_pp_139_166_Fun-Loving_Criminal_Speed_Danger_and_Race 153 16.0_pp_167_174_Conclusion 181 17.0_pp_175_180_Postscript 189 18.0_pp_181_198_Notes 195 19.0_pp_199_214_References 213 20.0_pp_215_221_Index 229 Front Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table Of Contents -- List Of Figures -- About The Author -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- One. Introduction -- Two. Researching Bradford: Putting The 'auto' Into Ethnography -- Three. Communicating Cars: Television, Popular Music And Everyday Life -- Four. Consuming Cars: Class, Ethnicity And Taste -- Five. Car Work: Production, Consumption And Modification -- Six. Social Psychology, Cars And Multi-ethnic Spaces -- Seven. Fun-loving Criminal: Speed, Danger And Race -- Eight. Conclusion -- Postscript -- Notes -- References -- Index -- Back Cover Yunis Alam Includes Bibliographical References And Index Electronic Reproduction. New York Available Via World Wide Web. Cars transmit and modify our identities behind the wheel. As a symbol of independence and freedom, the car projects status, class, taste and, significantly, embeds racialisation. Using fascinating research from drivers, Alam unpicks the ways in which our identity is enhanced and driven.