Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

‘On the outside’: constructing cycling citizenship

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 11; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14649360903414593

1470-1197

Rachel Aldred,

Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking

Abstract This paper uses in-depth interview data from Cambridge, England, to discuss the concept of the 'cycling citizen', exploring how, within heavily-motorised countries, the practice of cycling might affect perceptions of the self in relation to natural and social environments. Participants portrayed cycling as a practice traversing independence and interdependence, its mix of benefits for the individual and the collective making it an appropriate response to contemporary social problems. In this paper I describe how this can be interpreted as based on a specific notion of cycling citizenship rooted in the embodied practice of cycling in Cambridge (a relatively high cycling enclave within the low-cycling UK). This notion of cycling citizenship does not dictate political persuasion, but carries a distinctive perspective on the proper relation of the individual to their environment, privileging views 'from outside' the motor-car. Cet article utilise les données des entretiens en détail de Cambridge, Angleterre pour discuter du concept du «citoyen cycliste», en explorant comment, dans des pays profondément motorisés, la pratique du cyclisme peut affecter des perceptions de soi-même en relation avec des environnements naturels et sociaux. Les participants représentent le cyclisme comme un pratique qui traverse l'indépendance et l'interdépendance, son mélange des bienfaits pour l'individu et pour la collectivité en faisant une réponse appropriée aux problèmes sociaux contemporains. Dans cet article, je décris comment cela peut être interprété comme basé sur une notion spécifique de la citoyenneté du cyclisme bien enracinée dans la pratique incarnée du cyclisme à Cambridge (une enclave relativement cycliste dans le Royaume-Uni peu cycliste). Cette notion de citoyenneté cycliste ne dicte pas la persuasion politique, mais emporte une perspective distincte de la relation propre de l'individu à son environnement, en privilégiant des vues 'au dehors' de la voiture. Este papel se utiliza entrevistas exhaustivas de Cambridge, Inglaterra, para discutir el concepto del 'ciudadano ciclista,' explorando como, entre países muy automovilísticas, la practica de ciclismo puede afectar como se percibe a uno mismo en relación a los ambientes naturales y sociales. Los participantes se representaron el ciclismo como una practica que atraviesa la independencia y la interdependencia, siendo una respuesta apropiada a problemas sociales contemporáneas con su mezcla de bienes individuales y colectivos. En este papel discuto como la ciudadanía ciclista puede ser enraizado en la practica de ciclismo de Cambridge (un enclave de ciclismo en el Reino Unido, donde hay poco ciclismo). El concepto de ciudadanía ciclista no se dicta la persuasión política, pero se lleva una perspectiva distinta sobre la relación correcta entre el individuo y su ambiente, privilegiando la vista 'afuera' del automóvil. Keywords: mobilitycitizenshipcyclingtransportidentityconsumptionKeywords: mobilitécitoyennetécyclismetransportidentitéconsommationKeywords: movilidadciudadaníaciclismotransporteidentidadconsumo Acknowledgements Thanks are due to colleagues at the Cycling and Society symposium 2008 where I presented an early version of this paper, and to the University of East London's Institute for Health and Human Development which provided seed funding to help me carry out the research. I would also like to thank the anonymous peer reviewers and the editor for their helpful advice in revising the article. Notes 1 In the USA, there are nearly as many cars as there are citizens. 2 His study finds only weak empirical evidence for the role of reducing car usage in the former, but stronger evidence for the role of reducing car dependency in the latter. 3 See < http://www.stationcycles.co.uk/Hire/Index.htm> in Cambridge, for example. 4 Critical Mass is a monthly ride carried out by cyclists in cities across the world including London. See < http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/main.html>. 5 For younger children cycling is seen as relatively acceptable; however, older children ('gangs on bikes' in local press) may also be seen as threatening. 6 Their research was carried out in New Zealand, which has comparable levels of car dependency to the UK. 7 A campaign launched in the UK to encourage cyclists to commit publicly to stopping at red lights to 'improve the status of cycling'. See < http://stopatred.org/index.php>. 8 See < http://www.velib.paris.fr/>. 9 Where street networks allow direct journeys by bicycle, e.g. through modal filters blocking car traffic but allowing cycles through, cycle contraflows on one-way streets, etc. 10 The two Cycling Campaign groups have campaigned for these two very different outcomes. 11 Similar research is planned that will include more diverse localities to enable this comparison: for example, in Hackney, with a very different socio-economic profile to Cambridge, where cycling is estimated to have doubled to around 10 per cent. 12 Cambridge is an affluent city with high car ownership and—I was told at the CTC/CCN conference—over 90 per cent of Cycling Campaign activists own cars. 13 It is interesting that in Cambridge—where helmet wearing is low—some interviewees characterised helmet wearing as a sign of a bad cyclist (someone likely to be going too fast)!