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LUND UNIVERSITYPO Box 117221 00 Lund+46 46-222 00 00Life Histories and Bicycles : Telling Your Life Through an ObjectHagström, Charlotte2014Document Version:Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordLink to publicationCitation for published version (APA):Hagström, C. (2014). Life Histories and Bicycles : Telling Your Life Through an Object. Abstract from AnnualConference of the International Society for Cultural History (ISCH), 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa.Total number of authors:1General rightsUnless other specific re-use rights are stated the following general rights apply:Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authorsand/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by thelegal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private studyor research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portalRead more about Creative commons licenses: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will removeaccess to the work immediately and investigate your claim.Life	  histories	  and	  bicycles.	  Telling	  your	  life	  through	  an	  object	  Charlotte	  Hagström,	  Lund	  University,	  Sweden	  	  	  This	  paper	  analyses	  a	  number	  of	  individuals’	  life-­‐biography	  through	  the	  bicycle	  as	  material	  object	  and	  through	  the	  ability	  to	  ride	  it.	  It	  is	  based	  on	  material	  generated	  within	  the	  documentation	  project	  Bicycles	  and	  bicyclists:	  yesterday,	  today,	  tomorrow	  run	  by	  the	  Folklife	  Archives,	  and	  especially	  on	  responses	  to	  an	  open-­‐ended	  questionnaire	  about	  cycling	  which	  has	  been	  distributed	  to	  the	  archive’s	  network	  of	  regular	  informants.	  This	  diverse	  group,	  consisting	  of	  people	  of	  different	  ages	  and	  occupations	  living	  in	  various	  parts	  of	  Sweden,	  turned	  out	  to	  include	  all	  kinds	  of	  cyclists:	  reluctant	  practitioners	  who	  hardly	  ever	  use	  the	  bike,	  everyday	  cyclists	  who	  transport	  themselves	  as	  well	  as	  groceries	  and	  children	  in	  all	  kind	  of	  weathers,	  as	  well	  as	  passionate	  riders	  participating	  in	  races.	  When	  describing	  experiences	  and	  emotions	  associated	  with	  cycling,	  the	  questionnaire	  respondents	  often	  relate	  them	  to	  specific	  events	  in	  their	  lives,	  for	  example,	  taking	  the	  bike	  to	  the	  grocery	  store	  marking	  a	  significant	  move	  to	  a	  new	  geographic	  location.	  Some	  significant	  recurring	  themes	  are	  analysed	  from	  a	  life-­‐cycle	  perspective.	  Furthermore,	  the	  use	  of	  open-­‐ended	  questionnaires	  to	  regular	  informants,	  a	  well-­‐established	  method	  among	  Scandinavian	  cultural	  history	  archives,	  and	  in	  use	  by	  the	  Folklife	  Archives	  since	  1932,	  is	  discussed	  as	  a	  source	  for	  interpreting	  and	  analysing	  individual	  life	  histories.	  	  	  	  Charlotte	  Hagström	  is	  Associate	  Professor	  in	  Ethnology	  and	  archivist	  at	  the	  Folklife	  Archive,	  Lund	  University,	  Sweden.	  She	  is	  currently	  working	  with	  Bicycle	  freedom,	  a	  research	  project	  focusing	  on	  cultural	  aspects	  of	  bicycling.	  Other	  research	  interests	  include	  personal	  names	  and	  identity,	  life	  cycle	  rituals	  and	  digital	  gaming.	  	  	  

Life Histories and Bicycles : Telling Your Life Through an Object

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Life Histories and Bicycles : Telling Your Life Through an Object

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