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AMBIVALENT MOBILITIES: A Case Study on Scooter Drivers in Aalborg

Author

Term

10. term

Publication year

2010

Submitted on

Pages

171

Abstract

Denne casestudie undersøger scooterførere i Aalborg som et eksempel på ambivalente mobiliteter—situationer hvor valg af transport og bevægelse rummer blandede betydninger og værdier. I Danmark har scooterkørsel ofte et negativt image, hvilket kan føre til social eksklusion. Studien viser, hvordan personlige moralske holdninger og livsstile sammen med dominerende normer og ideologier i samfundet former, hvordan folk bevæger sig. Folk tiltrækkes af mobilitetsvalg, der signalerer tilhørsforhold eller status, men kan føle sig splittede, når disse signaler kolliderer med bredere værdier. Sådan ambivalens synliggør de modsatrettede betydninger i mobilitet og de sociale værdier, der kæmper med hinanden. Reaktioner på ambivalens—fx at læne sig op ad normer for at afgøre rigtigt og forkert—afspejler underliggende holdninger til mobilitet. Normative strukturer hjælper mennesker med at navigere i social kompleksitet og træffe beslutninger, men de viser også, hvordan magt virker gennem mobilitet. At arbejde med ambivalente mobiliteter kan give en dybere forståelse af mobilitet og afdække de dominerende principper, der styrer mobile handlinger og udvikling.

This case study explores scooter riders in Aalborg as an example of ambivalent mobilities—situations where choices about transport and movement carry mixed meanings and values. In Denmark, scooter use often has a negative image, which can lead to social exclusion. The study shows how personal morals and lifestyles, together with dominant social norms and ideologies, shape how people move. People are drawn to mobility options that signal belonging or status, yet they may feel torn when these signals conflict with broader values. Such ambivalence exposes the conflicting meanings within mobility and the social values that compete with one another. Responses to ambivalence—such as relying on norms to judge right and wrong—reveal underlying attitudes toward mobility. Normative structures help people navigate social complexity and make decisions, but they also show how power operates through mobility. Engaging with ambivalent mobilities can deepen understanding of mobility and uncover the dominant principles that guide mobile actions and development.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]