PAH 150B2 - Car Nation: The Automobile and the American Experience

Whether Americans drive/ride in a car daily or almost never, they inhabit a nation, landscape, society, culture, and economy which were remade during the 20th century around the privately-owned automobile. Automobility is a national way of life. While more than a billion vehicles populate the planet today, the United States was the first mass-motorized society in the world. Consumers embrace the luxury, flexibility, and status of automobile ownership, while national leaders pursue automobile manufacturing as a path to prosperity and industrial prowess. This course is a road trip, exploring how cars have both propelled and reflected the American experience since the invention of the automobile in 1886. In this course we will examine the evolving nature of cars and their profound impact on American culture and society. The course examines current and future changes in the auto industry - from driverless cars to electric vehicles - that will have profound consequences for how we live and organize our lives. We will explore people's relationship to/through cars and the stories that describe and define those relationships.