Habitus and the loser cruiser: How low status deters bus use in a geographically limited field
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2018
Subject Area
mode - bus, ridership - behaviour, ridership - attitudes
Keywords
status, bus, anti-bus disposition
Abstract
Buses are often described as a low status mode of transport, or as a mode of transport of last resort. They are widely regarded to be the province of the most socially and economically disempowered members of society. What is unclear is whether the low status of buses deters wider bus use. This paper explores the interplay between status and habitus, suggesting that an anti-bus disposition (an ingrained feeling of incompatibility with bus use) deters bus use amongst a middle-class group of managers and professionals. Further, it proposes that this anti-bus disposition operates in a geographically limited field; that is, people who are deterred from bus use in one location may quite happily use buses in another. The paper concludes with brief recommendations on how to address an anti-bus disposition and encourage bus use.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Fitt, H. (2018). Habitus and the loser cruiser: How low status deters bus use in a geographically limited field. Journal of Transport Geography, Vol 70, pp. 228-233.
Comments
Journal of Transport Geography home Page:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09666923