Thinking with Bevereley Skeggs - Stockholms universitet

Dag: … an occasion when speeding and you haven’t been able to controlthe car?Trond: No … one time if I am totally honest, I have not tried with this carand I don’t think I will do that either. It was the day when I bought it, wetried [inaudible] but we had to give up because it just kept accelerating,he didn’t let go.Dag: Ok, is this because of the strong motors or well built cars?Trond: Yes, the motors are strong and there are good main features, nodoubt…it just went on and on, I had to give up, I didn’t dare to go on ifI may say so.Dag: Ok, has this happened to you with other cars?Trond: No, it is just this one…Men’s greater willingness to expose themselves to risksis related to strengthening masculinity as it implies theopportunity to prove the ability to sort out a situation (Eldh2001). Thinking about the car and driver as in a relation of coconstruction,rather than easily separable entities, highlightsthe importance of understanding how emotions not only makethis ‘seamlessness’ possible, but also enable specific ways ofdriving. In this case, the ‘agency’ of the car may be conceivedof as affecting its user’s emotions as well as ways of driving.Having to ‘let go’ when the car continued accelerating impliesfailing to ‘dare’ to go all the way and failing to have fullcontrol of the car.On the one hand, being ‘honest’ about not having the courageto go all the way may be shameful in relation to a peer group,risking losing the respect and appreciation of the group. Onthe other hand, and maybe more accurately, such experiencesmay be well known in car communities where heroic stories ofpowerful cars may be part of everyday car talk ‘keeping’ userstogether. Talking to me about such highly emotional aspectsof car driving may be awkward, or even shameful, due to myoutsider position and lack of own experiences.16