Analyzing My Own Assumptions

Andrew Filer "Assumption, Minnesota" August 27, 2006 via Flickr
reuse with attribution

In this blog post, I will answer the questions about my own cultural perspective provided by the Writing for Public Lives book.

1. I share essentially all of the cultural values from the Esquire article. This is largely because I am also a young car enthusiast so I share many of the same concerns and desires as the author did at the age he is reflecting on. The values that are reflected on have not necessarily endured but both the author and I wish they had.
2. One considerable difference between that author's perspective and mine is when it is. In 1990, the best hope for a budding car enthusiast was essentially a new car. Inferior manufacturing and terrible vehicles from the late 1970s and 1980s made the used vehicle market tiny. So a cheap but fun new car was the best you could hope for. On the other hand, I have the opportunity to buy a ten year old luxury car that cost $30,000 dollars new for $6,500 in excellent condition because depreciation has worked in my favor.
3. Currently, the attitude for parents that are willing to help their teenagers get a car and especially those getting a new car, is one of much more entitlement. Teens are getting $20,000 and $30,000 dollar cars as their first cars and some have come to expect it. Most are also crossovers or other utility vehicles. This is at odds with what the author and I agree on that first car should do. It should be a slow car that is a gateway to excitement and driving fast and learning how to do it well.
4. The cultural values expressed in the text have evolved from the pride and happiness the author exhibited in his bargain basement first car to much more of an entitled standpoint as exhibited in the bullet above.

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I read Chloe and Hallye's blogs. Both chose very interesting articles (Hallye's was about freedom of speech and censorship while Chloe's was about the prevalence of audio books). Hallye agreed with the author of her article as I did. Chloe, however, disagrees with the author of her article. I think this will make for some very interesting analysis.