Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Driving and 'passengering': Notes on the ordinary organization of car travel

Brown, Barry; Laurier, Eric; Lorimer, Hayden; Jones, Owain; Juhlin, Oskar; Noble, Allyson; Perry, Mark; Pica, Daniele; Sormani, Philippe; Strebel, Ignaz; Swan, Laurel; Taylor, Alex; Watts, Laura; Weilenmann, Alexandra

Authors

Barry Brown

Eric Laurier

Hayden Lorimer

Owain Jones

Oskar Juhlin

Allyson Noble

Mark Perry

Daniele Pica

Philippe Sormani

Ignaz Strebel

Laurel Swan

Alex Taylor

Laura Watts

Alexandra Weilenmann



Abstract

We spend ever-increasing periods of our lives travelling in cars, yet quite what it is we do while travelling, aside from driving the vehicle itself, is largely overlooked. Drawing on analyses of video records of a series of quite ordinary episodes of car travel, in this paper we begin to document what happens during car journeys. The material concentrates on situations where people are travelling together in order to examine how social units such as families or relationships such as colleagues or friends are re-assembled and re-organised in the small-scale spaces that are car interiors. Particular attention is paid to the forms of conversation occurring during car journeys and the manner in which they are complicated by seating and visibility arrangements. Finally, the paper touches upon the unusual form of hospitality which emerges in car-sharing.

Citation

Brown, B., Laurier, E., Lorimer, H., Jones, O., Juhlin, O., Noble, A., …Weilenmann, A. (2008). Driving and 'passengering': Notes on the ordinary organization of car travel. Mobilities, 3(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450100701797273

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Mar 1, 2008
Journal Mobilities
Print ISSN 1745-0101
Electronic ISSN 1745-011X
Publisher Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Volume 3
Issue 1
Pages 1-23
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/17450100701797273
Keywords driving, passengers, interaction, car travel
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1017260
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17450100701797273

Downloadable Citations