Using thematic analysis to explore symbolism in transport choice across national cultures

Symbolism, what people believe a transport mode tells others about them within the context of a hierarchical society, has been shown to be a significant driver of transport choice. However, despite the common practice of transferring transport policies between nations, no research has focused on how a mode’s symbolic connotations vary across national cultures and how this may affect individual and group transport choices. This paper describes research which utilised two aspects of the Hofstede cross-cultural indices—power differential, and individualism versus collectivism—to develop and strengthen theory through qualitative deductive thematic analysis. Forty-eight interviewees from four Hofstede cultural clusters were sampled horizontally, across equivalent income, occupational and educational levels, to attempt to lessen socio-demographic distortions. Semi-structured interviews were then undertaken. Interview transcripts were analysed manually using previously derived symbolic transport thematic codes. The significant differences between the Hofstede groups in both the density of thematic coding, and the quotes offered, suggest symbolism may strongly influence the potential outcomes of transport policies transferred between nations possessing significantly different cultural attributes and imperatives. Given this the authors believe there is sound justification for further deductive and inductive analysis on the existing dataset, and the extension of the theory to a broader population within each cultural cluster.