Mobilities- Amandeep

That picture of obese women is disgusting! Jess that a good point- will our door width change? I personally think that they won’t, maybe obese people will have houses tailored to their needs. I also think there will be an increase in the types of technology allowing them to travel more easily.

The Government are trying to decrease the amount of obesity by changing advertising and try to imply the consequence, but I don’t think its having a massive effect.

On another topic, I’ve been reading a few books and found some really interesting points. In ‘Mobilities’, John Urry compares the virtual and physical world, looking at them as two sides of the same coin.

The physical world is owned by no- one, and as the population of people increases within that area, their individual responsibility for it decreases. Urry says the more the population there is in the area, and the more diverse the people in the area, the more informal we tend to act within it; our behaviour changes as we feel more safe (e.g. a crowded train). Also the more we travel on the same type of transport/ take the same route, we become less formal to it. I can say this is true for me, as I’ve become very informal on trains after travelling on them for many years.

Urry mentions that mobile systems within a city are organised around processes that circulate people (e.g. structured roads, route ways, and cycle/rail tracks). The wealthy countries are likely to have more organised circulation within their cities (e.g. Singapore), than Third World Countries (e.g. Africa).

The reason we travel is due to a desire to gain something, our emotions ultimately motivate us to travel (e.g. seeing a loved one in another country). Therefore I think that we will always have some sort of physical mobility.

He compares this to the virtual which is much more informal as this is usually done individually and (usually) in place of comfort (home), and as Floraine mentioned, we feel safe from danger. We delve into a bubble world away from the physical and into a comfortable zone we create for ourselves. It can be seen as a non- place, but also a shared space, and is not owned by anyone. It can be seen as a tool to communicate, a place used for its convenience. If you look at the mobile phone, it has allowed us all types of communication (i.e. phone, email, sms) all in the palm of our hand. It is a revolutionary tool that has changed how society behaves. Adverts selling ringtones, software downloaded via text and many more functions are used, as this allows convenience to both seller and user.

How social/ physical/ virtual link together- Amandeep

Hey- everyone! Humera I love the tram stop! It creates a sense of social space within a small area, increasing the people flow; even the stations create the idea of motion. Not sure if I like the bike, looks a bit too retro to me, and can't see anyone using it in the future!

Referring back to my last post about how modernisation maybe linked to mobility; I have interpreted Marx’s view as time being an indicator of how we have grown as a society and how the world has become more accessible and mobile- The idea of the word ‘Modern’ has never been interpreted the same.

I thought the best way to understand this was by looking at my own life; the above diagram is my representation of how mobility has affected/ changed over my lifetime. I have highlighted key points in my life (through a time line), that have increased my mobility within society.

The basic points I can pick out from it are that the virtual and physical aspects of mobility act as supports to the social factor. They all work simultaneously, and I wouldn’t be able to function properly if one was removed. As I have become older and more socially active, my virtual and physical mobility are automatically increased. I can also see that my virtual mobility is more active than my physical mobility, as I am more likely to contact someone via email/ phone rather than visit them in person.

I notice that education is a key backbone from where many of my social connections derive, as we do spend a lot of our youth studying. I can also see my virtual connections are mainly to local friends and friends.

While travelling, I can see a mixed set of emotions, especially when travelling to a new place, or a rarely used transport. It is here, in these transient places, where De Botton says we best encounter our true selves. It is these places where we feel that we can isolate ourselves into a place of comfort.

Maybe in the future surrounding will change according to our movement, or lack of it. Maybe our physical mobility will be replaced by more virtual movement as it is easier, faster and cheaper? Maybe our physical transport will get faster, more types of transport, but will we travel less often? Will there be any need to go to work, will we be working from home?