I choose a mini van as my cultural object, it is an object in particular because in the most general sense it is a device to get people from one place to the other, however in a cultural context it can also be read as a sign. To me the mini van signifies a “soccer mom”. It is a signifier for a specific type of family leaving the signified “if you drive a mini van you are a soccer mom”. A woman with active kids who is responsible for driving them around to activities would be the typical consumer of the mini van in my opinion. Because of this, the producers of mini vans target this particular group of people as evident in the advertisement above, generally suburban, middle class women with kids. Not only is there typical groups of people who drive mini vans or “who mini vans are for” but also a group extremely opposed to them or a group they are not for. This is evident because the mini van assumes with it an identity; for example my boyfriend would say “I would never be seen driving a mini van” probably not only because of the identity associated with the van but also the way in which it opposes his identity of being a masculine male. The mini van makes you take a position, whether you are a “soccer mom” and will drive a mini van or if you are not one and therefore aren’t not willing to drive one for the fear of being portrayed as one. The mini van also has deeper cultural understandings such as that there isn’t a “soccer dad” but only a “soccer mom” this makes the argument that the person that needs to be responsible for caretaking must be a women. Even further the mini van more discreetly promotes a heterosexual lifestyle in which people must reproduce and involve their kids in sports.
When I think if the mini van as a cultural object, I think of it as being a “grocery getter” or a perfect vehicle for the “soccer mom.” Mini vans seem to be associated with large families who do a lot of traveling together. Now, mini vans have almost become a house on wheels with tons of storage, DVD players, and pop-up tables; families get more then just a form of transportation out of their mini vans. I also agree that a mini van assumes an identity of being driven by the mom or woman in the family. A van isn’t perceived as being a manly car. Most men aren’t in charge of driving the kids to practice or getting groceries for dinner every night. A car, specifically a mini van, can say so much about a family and the lifestyle they live
ReplyDeleteWhen my family first got our minivan, my dad told my mom that, "You would never see him drive it."
ReplyDeleteAnd we didn't. I certainly wouldn't get one for myself either. Guys just cannot have a minivan in this culture.