ABSTRACT

Motorcycling has evolved from the early subcultural concepts of resistance and deviance to a unique leisure option. Riding with a motorcycle club is culturally perceived as a masculine activity. In the early days of motorcycle clubs, women possessed a subservient role with limited riding options. Together with their changing role in the society, women shifted from the rear to riding seat and came to the forefront of riding community. Women bikers and motorcycle subculture have been considerably discussed in the western academia, but there seems to be a dearth of research on motorcycling subculture in the Indian context. This research focuses on exploring the existing role of women in an all-female motorcycle club, within the socio-cultural context of India and aims to comprehend the female bikers’ motivation and behaviour within the club. It does not specifically examine gender issues or adopt a feminist epistemology, rather uses gender merely as a frame to examine subcultures. This paper is a result of a six-month ethnographic fieldwork in an all-female motorcycle club called ‘The Bikerni’. We hope that this research gives a deeper insight into the world of women bikers in India and help stakeholders make informed decisions regarding this emerging group’s needs.

摘要

摩托车已经从早期的反抗和越轨的亚文化概念演变为一种独特的休闲选择。骑摩托车俱乐部在文化上被认为是一种男性化的活动。在摩托车俱乐部的早期，女性处于从属地位，骑行选择有限。伴随着她们在社会中角色的转变，女性从后排转为坐骑，走到了骑术界的前列。西方学术界对女性摩托车手和摩托车亚文化进行了大量讨论，但似乎缺乏对印度背景下的摩托车亚文化的研究。这项研究的重点是在印度的社会文化背景下探索女性在全女性摩托车俱乐部中的现有角色，旨在了解女性骑自行车者在俱乐部内的动机和行为。它没有专门研究性别问题或采用女权主义认识论，而只是将性别作为研究亚文化的框架。这篇论文是在一个名为“The Bikerni”的全女性摩托车俱乐部进行的为期六个月的民族志实地考察的结果。我们希望这项研究能够更深入地了解印度女骑手的世界，并帮助利益相关者就这个新兴群体的需求做出明智的决定。