Hitchhiking in an age of suspicion: work techniques and personal experience narratives of hitchhiking in Newfoundland and Cape Breton
Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In recent decades, the popularity of hitchhiking in North America has undoubtedly \ndeclined. Nonetheless, the tradition persists—albeit residually—as people continue to \nhitchhike in both community based (short-distance) and long-distance contexts. This \nthesis draws on interviews with hitchhikers based in Newfoundland and Cape Breton, \nwho have hitchhiked and picked up hitchhikers from the 1960s to the present day. \nHitchhiking strategy is considered through the framework of occupational folklore, and \nthe use of such strategies for fostering trust is discussed. This thesis also examines \nhitchhiking personal experience narratives from a folkloristic standpoint, questioning why \nthese narratives are often assessed as “good” (i.e., engaging) narratives, while analyzing \nhow hitchhiking personal experience narratives might convey values and ideas about \ntrust. Although a range of trusting attitudes is documented, the interviewed hitchhikers \nare generally positive about their experiences; many connect hitchhiking with a \ndeepening sense of empathy, and exhibit counter-hegemonic attitudes towards reigning \n“cultures of fear.” While considering the influence of gender, location, and historical \ncontext, this work aims to demonstrate the connection between hitchhiking folklore and \ntrust, on both an individual and societal level. By examining hitchhiking as a narrative \nresource, rite of passage, and source of empathy, this thesis also shows how hitchhikers \nmay derive meaning from and situate their experiences in the greater context of their \nlives.
Author: Andrea McGuire
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2908686033