Cars
What has been invented to primarily address the longing human need for transportation revolved to a symbol and reflection of our economic stratification and social structure. Having been created for about 134 years ago, the car — an automobile or a fuel powered vehicle — as one may preferably define it, has influenced human interactions and relatively changed an integral part of the society. It did not only alienate man from his neighbor (by travel) but also to the environment/nature he belongs.
For some societies including the Philippines per se, driving an automobile, whether one can afford to or not, is a way to create an image of affluence and make a statement of one’s identity to others. On a larger scale, purchasing a car reflects broader issues of social structure beyond individuals’ control. In relation to the environment, sociologist Klaus Gietinger, calls cars a “weapon of mass destruction” and says that driving is a “drug” that kills millions of people (Ankel and Meyer, 2019). Being so, he proposes that cars should be limited because they pose an imminent threat that is detrimental to the social living conditions of the consumers brought by pollution, lack of space, and death by road traffic injuries. In a socio-economic perspective, as elaborated by Sternheimer (2012), cars pose a major financial challenge in both purchase and maintenance for those who have low incomes. In some societies such as in Los Angeles, it is seen to be a prerequisite for employment. Here, it can be drawn the immanent effects of the capitalist’s structure to the individuals. While cars do literally separate man from others by travel, cars as status symbols create arbitrary distinctions by drawing an implicit line between the rich and the poor.
References:
Ankel, S., & Meyer, C. (2019). A sociologist thinks cars are a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ and likens driving to a drug addiction. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/a-sociologist-says-cars-are-weapons-of-mass-destruction-2019-9
Sternheimer, K. (2012). Everyday sociology blog: Cars and class. Retrieved from https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2012/01/cars-and-class.html
