Biketivism and Technology: Historical Reflections and Appropriations

Author: Furness, Zack

Source: Social Epistemology, Volume 19, Number 4, Number 4/October-December 2005 , pp. 401-417(17)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

In Western society bicycling is commonly perceived as either a sport, a form of leisure, an activity for children, or at best, a utilitarian transportation technology. In this paper, I contest these assumptions by discussing ways in which both bicycling and bicycle technologies are politicized as a response to the cultural, social and political norms of Western society. Through historical examples that include 19th century Socialists, ‘first wave' feminists, and 1960's Dutch Anarchists, I provide a theoretical context in which one can understand how present day activists appropriate the bicycle through a dialectic of action and communication. In short, I demonstrate how a seemingly neutral technology (the bicycle) and an everyday activity (bicycling can be utilized as tools for dissent, protest, and cultural critique.

Keywords: Bicycle; Bicycling; Biketivism; Car Culture; Critical Mass; Feminism; Provos; Situationists; Social Movements; Technological Appropriation

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02691720500145696

Publication date: 2005-10-01

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