University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

NEWS RELEASE

CSUN Communications Professor’s New Book Urges
Commuters to Sit Back, Watching the Traffic Go By

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., April 30, 2007) — Traffic has sustained itself as a primary concern for Los Angeles and surrounding communities. But most residents are resigned beyond complaint, seeing transportation methods as a rational scientific development, where the only possible cure for gridlock lies in population control.

Cal State Northridge communication studies professor Paul Mason Fotsch’s "Watching the Traffic Go By: Transportation and Isolation in Urban America" reveals the transportation system as not only a reflection of technological advancement, but also a manifestation of our cultural values.

Fotsch first became interested in transportation systems while earning his doctorate at the University of California, San Diego.

“I was struck by how uncomfortable it was to walk around the neighborhood,” said Fotsch, pointing out the area’s accommodation of the automobile to the neglect of the pedestrian. "I couldn’t understand why most people choose to live in what I find to be such an alienating environment," he said.

Fotsch discovered an answer in the 1992 Los Angeles uprising. "L.A. is built on the idea of creating isolated and segregated neighborhoods," said Fotsch. "The automobile and the freeway symbolize escape. They shield commuters from the harsh realities of social inequality in the urban environment."

"Watching the Traffic Go By" is a look at transportation through the lens of popular culture. "The book provides an original argument for why we are in the traffic mess we are in today," said Fotsch.

The narrative applies critical theory, examining the early 20th century magazine promotion of trolleys, and the role of television and film in revealing how transportation is as much a cultural product as it is a technological development.

"To understand transportation we have to understand our cultural values, where they come from, and how they materialize," Fotsch said.

In his book, Fotsch refers to the award-winning film "Crash," among others, as a way to illustrate transportation as communication. "Our infrastructure shapes the way communication takes place in this city," he said. "Racism is part of our history of urban development."

"Watching the Traffic Go By" is already being used by faculty at the University of Texas for courses in anthropology and urban theory.

According to Fotsch, "Watching the Traffic Go By" extends beyond the academic realm, to a wider audience. "These issues affect everyone, and traffic has long been a dominant topic for Los Angeles," he said.

While his book exposes the ugly side of transportation politics, Fotsch himself defies road blocks set by current transportation conditions. "I practice what I preach. I’ve lived without a car for 13 years," he said.

Fotsch also is a member of the LA Bus Riders Union, a civil rights and environmental justice organization focusing on transportation and public health needs.

"Everyone recognizes there’s something deeply wrong with our transportation system, but it’s difficult to get people to change," he said.

He gets the word out yet another way, writing a weekly blog on the personal politics of urban transportation. The blog address is http://labusrider.blogspot.com/.

A CSUN professor in the communication studies department since 2003, Fotsch teaches courses on intercultural communication, communication and technology, and performance language and cultural studies.

"Watching the Traffic Go By" was published by the University of Texas Press in March 2007.

For more information, visit the Web site for the book at http://utexas.edu/utpress/books/fotwat.html. Fotsch can also be contacted at paul.fotsch@csun.edu, or (818) 677-2853.