Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Beach Cruisers at UC Davis: Living in the Slow Lane
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Kim-Thu Pha M. |
| Copyright Year | 2017 |
| Abstract | Student discussions on the social networking site Facebook show that the beach cruiser bicycle is highly stigmatized. Examples are taken from posts on the Freshman Class of 2016 Facebook group in which newcomers are dissuaded from buying cruisers, fearful of being judged by upperclassmen (UC Davis Freshman Class of 2016 (official)). Social dominance theory frames the beach cruiser as the vessel of the majorityminority conflict against females and freshmen, two marginalized groups at universities. The theory explains how cruiser-hate is a legitimizing myth, a false assumption treated as a social norm. Cruiser-hate exacerbates the struggle by females and freshmen for equal treatment. It is a new form of old discrimination. The popularity of bicycling at UC Davis allows us to observe this in a local setting. “ATTENTION INCOMING FIRST YEARS,” writes an upperclassman in caps lock, “...DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, GET A BEACH CRUISER STYLE BIKE... trust me, PEOPLE WILL JUDGE YOU” (UC Davis Freshman Class of 2016 (official)). This quote is from one of many anti-cruiser posts on Facebook, a heavily frequented social networking site and source of popular student opinion. The blunt phrase “people will judge you” sets the tone of future bike encounters; it warns the community that one’s bicycle choice affects how they are socially accepted, and it reinforces group bias against beach cruisers. On the UC Davis campus, more than anywhere else, the bike you ride sends out a message as strongly as the car you (don’t) drive. Nearly 18,000 bicyclists traverse the campus daily (Lovejoy and Handy 5). The importance of bike culture in Davis means social issues surrounding bicycle choice have significant impact. The beach cruiser is owned by a minority of UC Davis students, yet this minority is still several thousand people. The stigma affects each cruiser owner by pushing him or her down the social ladder. Unique processes of social stratification arise due to the large bicyclist population. Cruiserhate reveals that UC Davis bike culture seeks to reinforce hierarchical norms. The unpopularity of the cruiser might be explained by its structure and functionality. Participants in the UC Davis Freshman Class of 2016 (official) Facebook group cite cruisers for “blocking the road” and being “frustrating to park next to.” The beach cruiser is notorious for its large, |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://prizedwriting.ucdavis.edu/sites/prizedwriting.ucdavis.edu/files/users/snielson/59beachcruisers.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
