The suggested reading for the session is a key intervention by Sheller and Urry, linked to via Moodle:
Sheller, M. and Urry, J. (2006) “The new mobilities paradigm”, Environment and Planning A, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 207-226.
In this article they argue that the analysis of human life needs to be fundamentally re-oriented to recognise the profound significance of mobilities to a whole range of social, economic and cultural processes.
The theme of mobilities has spawned a wide range of literature, taking the analysis of mobilities well beyond its former disciplinary home of transport geographies. The richest source of material is the recent Routledge Handbook of Mobilities.
Among the issues in the literature are reflections on how mobility infrastructures often only become visible when they fail, see e.g. work on the ‘ash cloud’ of a few years ago in a special issue of the journal Mobilities on the disruption caused by the Icelandic ash cloud in 2010.
An excellent example of what might be termed a mobile material analysis is this analysis of the making of flip-flops:
Knowles, C. (2014) Flip Flop: a journey through globalisation's back roads, London: Pluto Press
For the seminar you should consider the mobilities literature and come with some thoughts to share with the group on the extent to which the subject of your essay relates to the themes raised in the new mobilities paradigm.
Preparing for the essay
As indicated in the module reading list, you have the option to submit a one page (200-250 word) outline of your essay by E-mail to me before Monday December 8th at 12 noon. The feedback will be given back to you in the final session of the module on Friday December 12th.
