The Ethics of Mobilities: Rethinking Place, Exclusion, Freedom and Environment(Transport and Society)

With this book the international academic discourse on mobility is taken a step further, through the intertwined perspectives of different social sciences, engineering and the humanities. The Ethics of Mobilities departs from the recent interest in social surveillance, raised by the use of technology for the surveillance and control of mobility as well as for transport. It widens this theme to encompass a broad scale of issues, ranging from freedom and escape to social exclusion and control, thus raising important questions of ethics, identity and religion; questions that are dealt with by a diverse, yet structured range of chapters, arranged around the themes of ethics and religion, and freedom and control. Through their variety and diversity of perspectives, the chapters of this book offer a substantial interdisciplinary contribution to the socially and environmentally relevant discussion about what a technically and economically accelerating mobility does to life and how it might be transformed to sustain a more life-enhancing future. Ethics of Mobilities will excite not only international interest, but will also appeal to scholars across a wide range of disciplines, in fields as diverse as theology and engineering.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction: in between standstill and hypermobility - introductory remarks to a broader discourse, Sigurd Bergmann and Tore Sager; Part I: The beauty of speed or the discovery of slowness - why do we need to rethink mobility? Sigurd Bergmann; Mobility, freedom, and public space, Mimi Sheller; Automobility and the driving force of warfare: from public safety to national security, Jeremy Packer; Stranded mobilities, human disasters: the interaction of mobility and social exclusion in crisis circumstances, Margaret Grieco and Julian Hine; Gendered mobility: a case study of non-Western immigrant women of Norway, Tanu Priya Uteng; Mobility as stress regulation: a challenge to dialogue in planning?, Tore Sager; Understanding mobility holistically: the case of Hurricane Katrina, Tim Cresswell. Part II: Existential homelessness - placelessness and nostalgia in the age of mobility, Juhani Pallasmaa; From sacred place to an existential dimension of mobility, Peter Nynäs; The phenomenon of mobility at the Frankfurt international airport - challenges from a theological perspective, Kerstin Söderblom; Religion, mobility and conflict, Elizabeth Pritchard; The desire for speed and the rhythm of the earth, Michael Northcott; The ontology of mobility, morality, and transport planning, Ullrich Zeitler; Walk the talk - mobility, climate justice and the churches, Jutta Steigerwald; Ecological approaches to mobile machines and environmental ethics, David Kronlid; Index.

About the Author :
Sigurd Bergmann is Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Archaeology and Religious Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Tore Sager is Professor in the Department of Civil and Transport Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Review :
'Speedy circulation of commodities, people and ideas transcending barriers of time and space, were hallmarks of modernity. The Ethics of Mobilities, this multi-disciplinary collection, examines tensions arising from the dream and reality of the global "success story". Sharply critical of conventional approaches, it offers more comprehensive perspectives on the subject.' Anne Buttimer, Past President, International Geographical Union 'To speed up or to slow down? In this fresh, pioneering collection of remarkably accessible essays, the issue of mobilities in many contexts is considered from a range of perspectives, including religious studies and theology. Introducing new questions and methodologies, this "must-read" volume marks an important contribution to the bourgeoning scholarly discussion of mobility.' Peter M. Scott, The University of Manchester, UK '...the book is innovative in exploring views of disciplines that only recently have developed an interest in mobility...I would recommend this compilation to scholars and students from humanities, social sciences, and transport engineering interested in empirical and theoretical matters relating to mobility.' Environment & Planning B: Planning & Design