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From its invention in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century,
the automobile crisscrossed the world, completely took over the
cities, and became a feature of daily life. Considered basic to the
American lifestyle, the car reflected individualism, pragmatism,
comfort, and above all modernity. In Latin America, it served as a
symbol of distinction, similar to jewelry or fine clothing. In The
Cultural Life of the Automobile, Guillermo Giucci focuses on the
automobile as an instrument of social change through its "kinetic
modernity" and as an embodiment of the tremendous social impact of
technology on cultural life. Material culture-how certain objects
generate a wide array of cultural responses-has been the focus of
much scholarly discussion in recent years. The automobile wrought
major changes and inspired images in language, literature, and
popular culture. Focusing primarily on Latin America but also
covering the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa, Giucci
examines how the automobile was variously adapted by different
cultures and how its use shaped and changed social and economic
relationships within them. At the same time, he shows how the
"automobilization" of society became an essential support for the
development of modern individualism, and the automobile its
clearest material manifestation.
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