Moving Spaces : The Affective Embodied Self in Tram Design and the Autonomous Imaginary

Abstract

This chapter presents the results of a case study on a new transportation system built in the city of Tampere, Finland, ushering in a contemporary tramway era into the city geared towards an autonomous future. The study aimed to understand the embodied experience of tram users in the context of transformation and to utilise universal fashion as a frame to enhance the understanding of the multifaceted dimensions (emotional, social) of this experience within the socio-technological context via embracing symbolic interactionism. Thematic interviews, consisting of two consecutive parts, were conducted with 30 participants. The results shed light on three aspects: 1) socio-cultural dynamics (cultural processes); 2) tangible and intangible systems of signification (expressions); and 3) multisensory experiences. The study shows that people’s interactive experiences of technology are embedded in a particular socio-material, cultural, or historical moment, a collective spirit of the times in relation to fashion-based temporality.