Die kulturelle Bestimmtheit von Bewegung. Eine Studie zum Radfahren in Bremen und Tokyo

Abstract

Movement is realized differently depending on the cultural context, the individual lives in. This doctoral thesis explores the coherence between movement and meaning. It's a question of cultural differentiation in movement using the example of cycling in Bremen and Tokyo. The thesis is tripartite: part one shows the necessary sociological and cultural theories, the movement theories and cycling as a movement, which is worldwide spread. The second part includes the empirical basics and its benefit for this underlying subject. Movement and its meaning are analyzed with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The third parts shows the results, which are consequentially discussed in relation to the theory, set in part one. The findings show, how movement and meaning are culturally shaped. Models of different social affiliation, shown through movement, can be interpreted as results of an individual cultural production in his own culture.