Social Disengagement on the Public Transit

• In Event: 378 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session II
  In Refereed Roundtable: B. Table 14. Microsociology

Abstract

I examine the causes of disorderly social behavior in crowded public spaces. Using Beijing’s subway transit system as a microcosm of other such public spaces, I relay how certain places create an atmosphere where people prefer to be isolated and disengaged from others. Beijing, which is home to over 20 million people, is one of the most populous cities in the world. With its rapidly expanding economy, there has been a growing number of people immigrating to Beijing from various parts of China, and more recently from around the world. Based on 18 months of observations on the Beijing subways and platforms, this paper describes antisocial behavior.

Author

• Esther Chihye Kim, Yale University