The Social and Material Culture of Hyperautomobility

“Hyperauto”

Bibliographic Data

ID20360200
AuthorsPeter Freund (Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA), G Martins (0000-0002-4770-1985, Montclair State University), George Martin (Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA,)
Year2009
Volume29
Issue6
Pages476-482
Publication date2009-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBulletin of Science Technology & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0270-4676 • E-ISSN: 1552-4183
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0270467609349053
OpenAlexW1987718460
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited14

The automobile is a key artifact for understanding the relationship between technology and society. As it has developed into a mass-produced and mass-consumed commodity, it has played an increasing role in social life and its built environments. In its most exaggerated manifestation, in parts of the United States, the car is a singular transport mode for expansive urban regions. This social formation, often referred to as “urban sprawl,” has been cited for its environmental and energy impact. Here, the focus is on its social structural impact on motorists as well as on nonmotorists. The auto is a prime example of how material technologies have dynamic and reciprocal relationships with their social contexts. These relationships raise significant ethical issues with regard to the development and application of technology

Business · Civil engineering · Commodity · Economic geography · Economics · Expansive · Political science · Reciprocal · Sociology · Urban planning · Urban sprawl · Engineering · Innovative Human-Technology Interaction

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub