PAPER
CAR DESIGN and CULTURE
An observation
This short paper aims to provide both theoretical insights and practical practices related to events, phenomena, behaviors, methods, experiences, processes, and practices derived from cultural concepts in a broader sense. It examines how cars transform these cultural accumulations into signs, attributes, and symbols within different cultural constructions, spanning from macro-culture—the entirety of all additions made in nature and the living space—to micro-culture, which refers to the set of meanings. In this sense, the paper seeks to explore cultural processes through the lens of the car, considering both its historical and traditional existence.
Modern individuals need simpler maps to understand the world, which are created through various combinations of phenomena. In line with this need, categorization becomes essential, often resembling a coding process. Cars, in this context, create a set of codes that allow us to observe cultural structures in a compelling way. These codes then generate maps that become externalized once followed, subsequently influencing people's behavior. In this paper, the car is treated as an independent entity within the context of culture and is evaluated in relation to its global and national influences.
While cultural codes create social categorization, the elements within each category carry an evaluation based on specific attributes and meanings. In this regard, cars function as expressions of abstract structures in life through their symbolic and aesthetic characteristics. Additionally, cars can be considered social programs that guide intercultural communication, shaping social consciousness and memory.
As an object and interface, the car is part of the semiotic system that forms the paradigm of modern society. With the ability to wrap around the human body like an outfit, the car serves as a cultural code that generates practical consciousness and discursive memory. In conclusion, this paper explores how the car can be both a source of integration and conflict between different nations and groups in relation to cultural codes and maps, while also evaluating the common projections between various creative disciplines and car design.
