Presenters
Abstract
50 years ago, Ford introduced the GT40 in order to dethrone Ferrari at the infamous 24 hours of Le Mans. In the abstract, Le Mans holds ideological and socio-political significance, allowing nations to exercise power and design an aesthetic, but it is more practically a marketing opportunity. Manufacturers concentrate on developing reliable and fuel efficient cars over dragsters. A win at Le Mans skyrockets sales, because these cars sell for the same reasons they win: fuel economy, reliability, acceleration, etc. Spectators will recognize the the brands: Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Ford. Ford, however, is obviously outclassed by the likes of its competitors, so the GT40’s 1966 win represented not only the perseverance of the working class spirit, but also the prowess and skilled labor of American automotive engineers. Ford reintroduced the GT to Le Mans in 2016 and beat Ferrari again. I argue that this win represents an important incongruity in American ideology. Philosopher and mechanic Matthew Crawford argues that “people often assume that dirty work is stupid work,” and the American educational system reflects such a belief. As American media outlets celebrated Ford’s win, American high school graduates continued enrolling in four year colleges at record breaking rates, accruing record breaking student loan debt, and evolving into the largest body of the over educated-unemployed. Most of these students cite their journey to the college classroom as a step towards meaningful and sustainable employment, though many argue that manual labor may be safer from overseas outsourcing, because you “can’t hammer a nail over the internet” (Crawford, 2009). With this paper, I aim to explore the incongruity wherein we celebrate—even lionize—working class culture and technical skills but systematically work to diminish young interest in such disciplines by disinvesting in tech and shop programs and championing the traditional college path.