Markedness and cars

As a bit of s sequel to my ‘fashion and portrayal’ blog, i want to dedicate this write to how the car you drive influences how you are marked within Society or at-least within Troy. 

    With a rough estimate, I’d say there’s about a 40/60 (maybe closer to 50/50?) split of Junior's at Troy who drive or get driven to school in contrast to taking the bus, so probably not everyone reading this may relate directly. But theres a fundamental truth that whatever mode of transportation and individual chooses shapes how they perceive themselves psychologically, and how others perceive them anthropologically. For those among us who drive (or get driven), looking around the parking lot or the drop off area, we can clearly mark who is more or less wealthy with their families socioeconomic standing. The parking lot, for example, will have a varying level of contrast with what people, with people driving in with Audi, BMWs and some in Teslas parked next to people with beat up Toyotas Corollas and decrepitude Hondas civics. 

    In the Troy parking lot, there is no such thing as a 'neutral' car. Just as Deborah Tannen argued that every choice a woman makes—from her hairstyle to her last name—is 'marked' with social meaning, our choice of commute is, in a way, out own public biography. Whether you’re one of the 40% catching the bus or the 60% navigating the drop-off line, you are being read, or more accurately: ‘marked’.

Psychologically, your car ‘preforms’ as an extension of yourself. If you’re driving a standard silver Toyota or Chevrolet SUV that blends into the background, you get the "unmarked" benefit of being invisible—you’re just another student in the lot, indifferent to your surroundings. But if you’re driving something loud, super expensive, or even a total "beater," you're constantly aware of it. You feel the "mark" every time you pull into a parking spot, wondering if people are judging your (realistically your parents) bank account or your own personality before you even get out.

Sociologically, the parking lot is like a giant social map. In a place like Troy, one of the more wealthier — if not one of the wealthiest — cities in michgan, the higher end of the standard is the "default." When everyone is driving an Audi or a Tesla, those cars become unmarked. They’re the "norm." So, the second you drive something different—like an old 2005 Honda—you’re "marked" as if your an outsider. You aren't just "a person driving"; you're "the person in the old car." You’re forced into a categorization you didn't (necessarily*) choose.

Anthropologically, if you stepped back and looked at us like a weird tribe, the car vs. bus split says everything. The "Bus 40%" get to be a nameless collective—they’re unmarked by status. But the "Driver 60%" are stuck in a constant branding competition. Whether we like it or not, our commute tells a story about our social economic, privilege and our priorities. At the end of the day, you can’t just "arrive" at school; the way you get here has hinted to everyone who you are in a way.

To end this blog, a Quote made by Chris Bangle (one of the most Famous car designer for BMW) :

“Cars are the sculptures of our everyday lives.”