University-Aged Millennials' Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Vehicle
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University-Aged Millennials’ Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Vehicle Ownership and Car-Sharing A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright by Jessica Lucia Correa 2016 Sustainability Studies M.A. Graduate Program May 2016 ABSTRACT University-Aged Millennials’ Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Vehicle Ownership and Car-Sharing Jessica Lucia Correa Car-sharing may have the potential to contribute to a more sustainable transportation system. The current research sought to answer the question: what are university-aged Millennials' perceptions and attitudes toward the adoption of vehicle sharing and private vehicle ownership? The research consisted of hosting six interactive focus group sessions with Millennial students, who currently do not own vehicles. Using a qualitative approach, I analyzed the discussions through a social practice theory lens. I suggest that skills, meanings, materials, and social interactions have an influence on the way in which a transportation option is perceived by Millennials. The results revealed that social norms surrounding vehicle ownership and car sharing are being developed, shaped, changed, challenged and reconstructed. If car-sharing businesses, universities, and governments wish to progress toward a more sustainable transportation system, they should recognize the importance of marketing. Keywords: Millennials; car-sharing; social practice theory; vehicle-ownership; university; sustainable transportation ii Acknowledgements Thank you to Stephen Hill, John Bishop, Thomas Whillans, Asaf Zohar, and Stephanie Rutherford for their continuous support throughout my thesis. Thank you to An Kosurko; Gord Halsey; Katie Allen; Kolawole; Christopher Ott; Erin Hamilton, Kristy MacDermid, Sarah Quibbell, David Dame, Kathy Warner, Mark Muschett, Melissa Zubrikas, Geoff MacPhee, Alex McLeod, Robyn McLeod, Angie Jongsma and the rest of the Runner’s Life crew. If I could list you all, I would. Special thank you to Jim and Gerri MacDonald; who were always willing to lend me a helping hand and support when I needed it most. Thanks to Lynn Teatro and Pat Jilesen from my Toastmaster’s Family for being supportive and encouraging throughout the entire process. I would like to thank my parents who stood with me throughout the process and provided me with guidance and patience. I would also like to thank the 29 focus group participants who took the time to attend my focus group sessions. I am also grateful to have received funding from the Ontario Graduate Scholarship for this thesis. iii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iv List of Figures ................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Research context ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research objectives .................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Contribution of this research .................................................................................... 5 1.4 Research background ................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 2 Review of the literature ...................................................................................... 8 2.1 Search terms ............................................................................................................. 8 2.2 Identified themes in the literature ........................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Deteriorating status symbol of the car ............................................................. 12 2.2.2 Reduced car travel – Peak car hypothesis ........................................................ 12 2.2.3 Collaborative consumption .............................................................................. 13 2.2.4 University students hold positive attitudes toward sustainable transportation 14 2.2.5 Moments of change ......................................................................................... 14 2.2.6 University institutions and the campus bubble ................................................ 15 2.2.7 Social pressures to own a vehicle .................................................................... 16 2.2.8 The built environment ..................................................................................... 17 2.2.9 University aged Millennials and environmental concerns ............................... 18 2.3 Knowledge gaps ..................................................................................................... 19 2.4 Chapter conclusion ................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 3 Conceptual framework- Social practice theory ................................................ 22 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 22 3.2 Social practice theory ............................................................................................. 22 3.3 Car sharing as a practice ......................................................................................... 24 3.4 My approach ........................................................................................................... 25 3.5 Chapter conclusion ................................................................................................. 27 iv Chapter 4 Research approach ........................................................................................... 29 4.1 Research location .................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Research participant selection ................................................................................ 30 4.3 Research ethics ....................................................................................................... 33 4.4 Study participants ................................................................................................... 33 4.5 Recruitment process ............................................................................................... 35 4.6 Focus groups ........................................................................................................... 35 4.7 Focus group design ................................................................................................. 37 4.7.1 Review of relevant literature ........................................................................... 37 4.7.2 Pre-testing the focus group template ............................................................... 39 4.7.3 Sessions ........................................................................................................... 40 4.8 Data analysis ........................................................................................................... 41 4.8.1 Field notes........................................................................................................ 41 4.8.2 NVivo qualitative software package 10Analysis ............................................. 43 4.8.3 Coding in NVivo 10 ........................................................................................ 44 4.8.4 Analytical strategies ........................................................................................ 45 4.9 Validity and reliability ............................................................................................ 48 4.10 Participant observation ......................................................................................... 49 4.11 Methodological shortcomings and limitations ...................................................... 51 Chapter 5 Results .............................................................................................................. 54 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 54 5.2 Car sharing meanings ............................................................................................. 55 5.2.1 Millennials are unsure of the symbolic meaning of car-sharing ...................... 55 5.2.2 Millennials perceive car-sharing as environmentally friendly......................... 57 5.2.3 Millennials perceive car-sharing as cool ......................................................... 58 5.2.4 Millennials perceive car-sharing as cost-efficient ........................................... 59 5.2.5 Millennials perceive car-sharing as low-economic status ............................... 61 5.2.6 Millennials perceive car-sharing as weird ......................................................