Car Ownership Transitions Among Low-Income Households

Keywords: precarity, car ownership, transportation
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 41

Abstract

This research precarious car ownership among low-income households. Previous research has painted a partial picture of these transitions which have a large effect on households’ wellbeing. We know that low-income households’ grasp on car ownership is tenuous. These households experience more transitions into and out of car ownership compared with more affluent households. We also know that having or gaining a car is associated with upward economic and social mobility. Yet, we know little about how low-income households acquire cars or the consequences for these households when they lose or give up a car. This research examines these two aspects of car ownership transitions.

First, we examine the consequences of losing access to a car for low-income households. My research will highlight the effects of losing a car on employment, finances, healthcare, access to food, recreational opportunities, childcare and child-serving travel, and residential mobility. Second, we examine how households subsequently regain a car. When searching for a car, low-income households often have to navigate subprime lenders and informal markets and risk buying unreliable vehicles. Our research will examine the search processes, risks, constraints, and compromises entailed in purchasing a car.

This research is based on interviews with low-income individuals in and around Philadelphia, PA, and Ithaca, NY. We adopt a biographical approach to focus on the processes of change (the search for cars) and the consequences of these changes (the effects of losing a car) over the life-course.