For a special issue on the concept of Detours. Thank you to the patient and hard working editors- Jean-Baptiste Frétigny and Weiqiang Lin.
Some great articles in the issues. Well done all.
This study explores the experiences of leisure hitchhikers on Europe’s
roads, drawing on “detours” as a framework. Utilising interviews
with 16 active hitchhikers, the research reveals how detours—
whether imposed by drivers or tactically seized by hitchhikers—lead
hitchhikers to develop capacities for resourcefulness, imagination,
and solidarity within structural constraints. Key themes include the
unpredictability of detours, heightened feelings of vulnerability,
chance encounters, and how these diversions shape hitchhiker
subjectivities and self-narratives. This research contributes to our
understanding of how individuals navigate and find meaning
in experiences at the edge of their comfort zones, while also
illuminating how detours can help cultivates a form of mastery and
even resistance. In conclusion, detours, it was found, are not always
negative and often serve as catalysts for personal growth and skill
development.
Link: https://journal-mobilityhumanities.com/?mod=list&category2=No.2
