Are Energy-Intensive Life-Images Fading? The Cultural Meaning of the Automobile in Transition

Focuses on the symbolic significance of energy consuming technology, using the automobile as an illustration. It is suggested that the automobile cannot be considered as only 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. (21 ref)