New Books in Sociology
Cars, Race and Class with Yunis Alam
Mar 22, 2025
Yunis Alam, Head of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Bradford, dives into the intricate relationships between cars, race, and class. He discusses how vehicles symbolize status and identity, particularly within the Pakistani community in Bradford. Alam explores the racialization of car culture and its implications for Muslim communities, revealing how certain cars can reinforce stereotypes. He also shares humorous anecdotes about personal car ownership while reflecting on the dual nature of cars as both status symbols and sources of societal conflict.
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Quick takeaways
- Cars serve as significant markers of identity, shaping how individuals are perceived in relation to their race and class.
- The racialization of car culture leads to harmful stereotypes, particularly affecting media narratives and law enforcement perceptions of minority communities.
Deep dives
The Intersection of Cars and Identity
Cars are more than just vehicles; they serve as significant markers of identity, especially within cultural and ethnic contexts. In the podcast, the relationship between cars and personal identity is explored through the lens of personal anecdotes and cultural observations. For example, the attachment to specific types of vehicles, such as Japanese cars among certain communities, illustrates how choices reflect broader social identities and aspirations. This phenomenon extends to how individuals perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others, reinforcing or challenging stereotypes associated with race and class.
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