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Liminal life at railway stations: An ethnographic investigation of commuters' everyday rituals

Cheng, Meng LU (2020) TKAM02 20201
Division of Ethnology
Abstract
Building functional and effective railway station infrastructures has become a strategy to encourage sustainable mobility. Addressing on commuters, this thesis aims to investigate how station infrastructures frame commuters' commuting experience. Departing from the theory of rites of passage by Victor Turner, this thesis draws on autoethnography, interviews with six Øresund commuters and observational fieldwork at eight commuter train stations in the Øresund region. Focusing on the liminal character of commuting, this thesis comprehensively examines the interaction between commuters and train stations from the perspectives of space, time and place. The findings highlight the overlooked significance of station infrastructures in making... (More)
Building functional and effective railway station infrastructures has become a strategy to encourage sustainable mobility. Addressing on commuters, this thesis aims to investigate how station infrastructures frame commuters' commuting experience. Departing from the theory of rites of passage by Victor Turner, this thesis draws on autoethnography, interviews with six Øresund commuters and observational fieldwork at eight commuter train stations in the Øresund region. Focusing on the liminal character of commuting, this thesis comprehensively examines the interaction between commuters and train stations from the perspectives of space, time and place. The findings highlight the overlooked significance of station infrastructures in making meaning to commuters' everyday lives. It is argued that station infrastructures provide fundamental support in commuters' needs, assist commuters in orienting themselves for transformation, secure their identity and maintain the social norm. (Less)
Abstract (Chinese)
建设具有功能性且有效的车站基础设施是倡导可持续交通的一项有效策略。本研究从通勤者角度出发，诣在调查车站基础设施对通勤者通勤体验的影响。本文基于英国人类学家维克多·特纳 (Victor Turner)关于通过仪式的理论，采用了自传式民族志的调查方法，并对六位厄勒地区通勤者进行面对面访问以及在厄勒地区八个车站进行观察性田野调查。本研究专注于通勤行为的过渡性特征，从空间、时间和地方三个角度深度评估了车站对通勤者日常生活的影响。调查结果表明车站基础设施对通勤者日常生活具有影响。车站基础设施不仅满足通勤者的基本需求，协助通勤者在心理上做好日常身份转变的准备，而且起着文化认同和维护社会秩序的作用。
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Cheng, Meng LU
supervisor
organization
course
TKAM02 20201
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
railway stations, commuter, rites of passage, liminality, infrastructure, cultural analysis, everyday rituals
language
English
id
9018454
date added to LUP
2020-06-16 11:44:16
date last changed
2020-06-16 11:45:52
@misc{9018454,
  abstract     = {{Building functional and effective railway station infrastructures has become a strategy to encourage sustainable mobility. Addressing on commuters, this thesis aims to investigate how station infrastructures frame commuters' commuting experience. Departing from the theory of rites of passage by Victor Turner, this thesis draws on autoethnography, interviews with six Øresund commuters and observational fieldwork at eight commuter train stations in the Øresund region. Focusing on the liminal character of commuting, this thesis comprehensively examines the interaction between commuters and train stations from the perspectives of space, time and place. The findings highlight the overlooked significance of station infrastructures in making meaning to commuters' everyday lives. It is argued that station infrastructures provide fundamental support in commuters' needs, assist commuters in orienting themselves for transformation, secure their identity and maintain the social norm.}},
  author       = {{Cheng, Meng}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Liminal life at railway stations: An ethnographic investigation of commuters' everyday rituals}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}