The Cultural Life of the Automobile

Roads to Modernity

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Transportation, Automotive, History, Domestic
Cover of the book The Cultural Life of the Automobile by Guillermo Giucci, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Guillermo Giucci ISBN: 9780292744554
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Guillermo Giucci
ISBN: 9780292744554
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

From its invention in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century, the automobile crisscrossed the world, completely took over the cities, and became a feature of daily life. Considered basic to the American lifestyle, the car reflected individualism, pragmatism, comfort, and above all modernity. In Latin America, it served as a symbol of distinction, similar to jewelry or fine clothing. In The Cultural Life of the Automobile, Guillermo Giucci focuses on the automobile as an instrument of social change through its “kinetic modernity” and as an embodiment of the tremendous social impact of technology on cultural life.

Material culture—how certain objects generate a wide array of cultural responses—has been the focus of much scholarly discussion in recent years. The automobile wrought major changes and inspired images in language, literature, and popular culture. Focusing primarily on Latin America but also covering the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa, Giucci examines how the automobile was variously adapted by different cultures and how its use shaped and changed social and economic relationships within them. At the same time, he shows how the “automobilization” of society became an essential support for the development of modern individualism, and the automobile its clearest material manifestation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From its invention in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century, the automobile crisscrossed the world, completely took over the cities, and became a feature of daily life. Considered basic to the American lifestyle, the car reflected individualism, pragmatism, comfort, and above all modernity. In Latin America, it served as a symbol of distinction, similar to jewelry or fine clothing. In The Cultural Life of the Automobile, Guillermo Giucci focuses on the automobile as an instrument of social change through its “kinetic modernity” and as an embodiment of the tremendous social impact of technology on cultural life.

Material culture—how certain objects generate a wide array of cultural responses—has been the focus of much scholarly discussion in recent years. The automobile wrought major changes and inspired images in language, literature, and popular culture. Focusing primarily on Latin America but also covering the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa, Giucci examines how the automobile was variously adapted by different cultures and how its use shaped and changed social and economic relationships within them. At the same time, he shows how the “automobilization” of society became an essential support for the development of modern individualism, and the automobile its clearest material manifestation.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Mexico and the United States in the Oil Controversy, 1917–1942 by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book The Adventures of a Cello by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Selected Poems of Rubén Darío by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Betting the Farm on a Drought by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Arabian Oasis City by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book The Mixe of Oaxaca by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Evolution of Desert Biota by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book The Golden Frontier by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Delirio—The Fantastic, the Demonic, and the Réel by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Screening Stephen King by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Wild Orchids of Texas by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Negotiating for the Past by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Imagining the Turkish House by Guillermo Giucci
Cover of the book Human Matter by Guillermo Giucci
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy