The Influence Of Car Consumptions By Urban Women On Gender Order

This paper attempts to explore how the private cars influence the life of Chineseurban women. The author carried out in-depth interviews with urban women of differentfamily life cycles and women of different social classes. Their different travel patternsand travel purposes are discussed and analyzed.The author draws the conclusions that private cars provide single women andwomen in the phase of “empty nest” with more freedom. It helps them to better joinwork and social activities, and participate in recreational activities. But for women in“full-nest” phase, cars mainly facilitate them with the household chores. Cars do notrender them more choices and freedom.Cars also exert different impact to women of different social classes. Women fromhigher social class take more initiatives in cars using. Cars provide this group of womenthe same right as it did to the male equivalents. Middle class women use cars to workand take care of the family. Some middle-low class women mainly use cars to take careof the elderly and children. Their purpose of car consumption is primarily to enhancefamily members. Automobile does not effectively improve the life of women withmiddle-low class.