The Incredible Shrinking World? Technology and the Production of Space

1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 529-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Kirsch
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Production Of Space ◽  
Space And Time ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Space Compression

This paper is about the role of technology in the transformation of space, and the ways in which these changes are represented. These processes are explored principally through critical analysis of the work of Harvey and Lefebvre; more specifically, I contrast the place of technology as expressed through their varied emphases on the annihilation of space, and the production of space. The dramatic restructuring of space and time in recent decades, associated with new high-speed geographies of production, exchange, and consumption, has been theorized against the backdrop of a ‘shrinking world’, The popular conception of the world shrinking to a global village is generally seen as the product of technological advances in telecommunications, transportation, and ‘information’. For Harvey, these innovations arc seen as the means through which capital has freed itself from spatial constraints. By placing the ‘collapse of space’ jargon alongside Marx's phrase, the annihilation of space by time, these spatial metaphors serve Harvey as shorthand for the complexities of time-space compression; the shrinking world is seen as a midpoint between a regime of accumulation and a mode of representation. I argue that, although these metaphors help to theorize the relativity of space—as the global impinges on the local—they only do so by obfuscating the relative space of everyday life, and the increasingly technical means through which it is produced. Through an interpretation of Lefebvre's discussion of technology in The Production of Space, I suggest how the role of technology in the transformation of space is not limited to those globalizing processes through which the world has been made increasingly interconnected in space and time. So too, technology has been critical to the domination of conceived space over lived space as social relations are spatialized at the scale of experience. As a foundation for these arguments, the social relations of technology and technological change are theorized through the incorporation of ideas from the social studies of science and technology and from critical human geography.

scholarly journals Acumulação capitalista, Estado e reprodução de força de trabalho: o trato teórico-metodológico da política social

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angely Dias da Cunha ◽  
Bernadete de Lourdes Figueiredo de Almeida ◽  
Elizangela Paulino S. Buriti
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Societal Changes ◽  
Qualitative Nature ◽  
Mode Of Production

Resumo: Esse artigo de cunho qualitativo, de caráter exploratório e descritivo que se alicerça em uma revisão bibliográfica tem o objetivo de analisar o modo de produção capitalista, como acontece o processo de acumulação e reprodução e as inflexões para o papel do estado e da política social, a ênfase é nos períodos marcado por crises que provocam transformações societárias que impactam o mundo do trabalho e das relações sociais. O método crítico-dialético utilizado nessa pesquisa se debruça sobre as categorias mediação, historicidade e dialética com o propósito de desvendar a realidade para além da aparência e aprofundar as análises sobre o capitalismo. Como resultados apontamos que as crises capitalistas provocadas por suas próprias contradições o tem dimensionado o trato teórico-metodológico da política social. Capitalist accumulation, State and workforce reproduction: the theoretical and methodological treatment of the social policy Abstract: This qualitative nature of an article, exploratory and descriptive character which is based on a literature review aims to analyze the capitalist mode of production, as the process of accumulation and reproduction and inflections to the role of the state and social policy, the emphasis is in periods marked by crises that cause societal changes that impact the world of work and social relations. The critical-dialectical method used in this research focuses on the categories mediation, historicity and dialectics in order to unravel the reality beyond appearance and deepen the analysis of capitalism. The results point out that the capitalist crisis caused by its own contradictions has scaled the theoretical-methodological treatment of social policy.

The production of space at Nineveh

Iraq ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Lumsden
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Social Production ◽  
Production Of Space ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Spatial Production ◽  
The Social ◽  
Objectively Measured

Space, or spatiality, has generally been relegated to the background by historians and social scientists (Soja 1989). The Cartesian worldview demands a separation between thinking and the material world, between mind and matter. In this view space is seen simply as something that can be objectively measured, an absolute, a passive container (Merrifield 1993: 518).An alternative view, propounded mainly by postmodern geographers, regards space as a “medium rather than a container for action”, something that is involved in action and cannot be divided from it (Tilley 1994: 10). Space is not an empty, passive container, but an active process that is both constituted and constitutive (Merrifield 1993: 521). So, in this view the social, historical, and the spatial are interwoven dimensions of life (Soja 1999: 263–4). History and society are not understood if space is omitted; there is, in fact, no unspatialised social reality (Soja 1989: 131–7; 1996: 46, 70–6).The philosopher Henri Lefebvre's concept of the social production of space plays an important part in this latter view of the active role of space in social processes. Lefebvre criticises the notion that space is transparent, neutral and passive, and formulates in its place an active, operational and instrumental notion of space (Lefebvre 1991: 11). He argues that it is the spatial production process that should be the object of interest rather than “things” in space, and that space is both a medium of social relations and a material product that can affect social relations (Lefebvre 1991: 36–7; Gottdiener 1993).

Dwarf Fortress

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19
Author(s):  
Robbie Fordyce
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Thought Experiments ◽  
Alternative Economies ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Economic Interactions

The “fortress simulator” game Dwarf Fortress (Bay 12 Games, 2006-present) allows players the space to conduct experiments in economics. The player is not granted an avatar in the world, but this does not mean the player is granted the role of a transcendent deity either. Instead, the player operates on the relational level—completely managing all economic interactions and assigning social codes to different spaces. Lacking a “win” condition, players are free to engage with the game however they wish, including allowing for the immediate and unsympathetic demise of the community. As play continues, Dwarf Fortress ceases to be a fortress and becomes what the autonomists describe as a “laboratory.” The social relations of the fortress are upturned and become the site for experiments in production. The fortress too becomes the site for thought experiments on alternative economies, containing not one but many social laboratories.

scholarly journals The New Global Economy: Time-Space Compression, Geopolitics, and Global Uneven Development

2001 ◽  
pp. 133-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Agnew
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Time Space ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Space Compression ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Transportation Technologies

Two ideas have dominated discussion in recent studies of the social andpolitical impacts of globalization by those who think that globalization has had real e?ects and is not simply a synonym for the neo-liberal policies insti-tuted by many national governments beginning in the 1980s. The ?rst is the idea that everywhere in the world is becoming alike economically and culturally as a consequence of globalization. This is a scaling up from the national to a global scale of the old idea of “modernization.” From this perspective, common global norms about conduct, consumption standards, and cultural practices are spreading everywhere (John Meyer at Stanford University [e.g. Meyer 1996] and his students are perhaps representative of this thrust). This global modernization is often seen as brought about by causes implicit in a second idea, although proponents of the second idea may well not endorse the ?rst or vice versa. This is that current globalization is about the shrinking of the world because of revolutionary changes in communication and transportation technologies. In the long-term this process of “time-space compression” will produce greater economic similarities across places but immediately this need not be the case. Rather, di?erences between places may in fact intensify as involvement in a world of ?ows makes the characteristics of this or that place make the place more competitive globally. In the end, however, di?erent places will establish niches for themselves within the global economy, even if there is dislocation in the short-term.

scholarly journals For Nature: Deep Greening World-Systems Analysis for the 21st Century

1997 ◽  
pp. 381-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sing S. Chew
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
World System ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Human Reproduction ◽  
World Systems ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World

From its conception the world-systems perspective has been preoccupied with the study of long term global transformations (see for ex., Frank 1968, 1979; Wallerstein 1974; Amin 1974; Wolf, 1982; Chase-Dunn 1989; Chase-Dunn and Hall 1992; Kaplan 1978).2. To this extent, the various structural relationships, trends, and cycles of the world system have been identified to explain the processes of global transformation. The varied attempts to pinpoint and analyze these relations, trends, and cycles have been within the context of connections between humans, classes, status groups, industries, regions, and states in the world economy. From an ecological point of view (ontologically and epistemologically), such a manner of understanding change is quite anthropocentric, as global transformation necessitates a changing relationship with Nature. In an era of increasing global concern and awareness of the finite nature of natural resources and the growing realization of the contemporary losses in plant and animal species and the continued susceptibility of the human species to climatological changes and diseases despite various scientific and technological advances, we need to consider that besides social relations and structures, the basis of human reproduction includes our relationships with the non-human world (ecology). World-systems /world system analyses need to move beyond deciphering the processes of global change only through the social (anthropocentric) dimension of the relations underlining these processes. Keeping to just the social relations/structures of the reproduction of the system limits the range of explanations we can provide for global transformation, and also restricts the dimensions whereby the basis for these changes can be explored. This paper is an attempt to introduce the other basic dimension (our relations with Nature) into the overall equation of world-systems/world system analyses for our understanding of global change. Ultimately, it is this Culture/Nature relation along with the dynamics of Nature that in the long run determines the trajectory of the transformation of the world system. The purpose of this paper is to "green" the world-systems/world system analyses to date, and to suggest (ontologically and epistemologically) an ecocentric world system history approach beyond a humanocentric world system history analysis that has been proposed by Frank and Gills (l992(a), l992(b)).

The problem of periodization of the history of religion

1997 ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Borys Lobovyk
Keyword(s):  
Religious Studies ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Religious Development ◽  
History Of Religion ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Role Of Religion

An important problem of religious studies, the history of religion as a branch of knowledge is the periodization process of the development of religious phenomenon. It is precisely here, as in focus, that the question of the essence and meaning of the religious development of the human being of the world, the origin of beliefs and cult, the reasons for the changes in them, the place and role of religion in the social and spiritual process, etc., are converging.

Value-driven issues throughout the development of sociological theory

2020 ◽  
pp. 147-160
Author(s):  
Gulbarshyn Chepurko ◽  
Valerii Pylypenko
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social System ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Different Levels

The paper examines and compares how the major sociological theories treat axiological issues. Value-driven topics are analysed in view of their relevance to society in times of crisis, when both societal life and the very structure of society undergo dramatic change. Nowadays, social scientists around the world are also witnessing such a change due to the emergence of alternative schools of sociological thought (non-classical, interpretive, postmodern, etc.) and, subsequently, the necessity to revise the paradigms that have been existed in sociology so far. Since the above-mentioned approaches are often used to address value-related issues, building a solid theoretical framework for these studies takes on considerable significance. Furthermore, the paradigm revision has been prompted by technological advances changing all areas of people’s lives, especially social interactions. The global human community, integral in nature, is being formed, and production of human values now matters more than production of things; hence the “expansion” of value-focused perspectives in contemporary sociology. The authors give special attention to collectivities which are higher-order units of the social system. These units are described as well-organised action systems where each individual performs his/her specific role. Just as the role of an individual is distinct from that of the collectivity (because the individual and the collectivity are different as units), so too a distinction is drawn between the value and the norm — because they represent different levels of social relationships. Values are the main connecting element between the society’s cultural system and the social sphere while norms, for the most part, belong to the social system. Values serve primarily to maintain the pattern according to which the society is functioning at a given time; norms are essential to social integration. Apart from being the means of regulating social processes and relationships, norms embody the “principles” that can be applied beyond a particular social system. The authors underline that it is important for Ukrainian sociology to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field of axiology and make good use of those ideas because this is a prerequisite for its successful integration into the global sociological community.

The Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on Children‘s Behaviors and Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 796-806
Author(s):  
Sana M Kamal ◽  
Ali Al-Samydai ◽  
Rudaina Othman Yousif ◽  
Talal Aburjai
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Child Psychology ◽  
Simple Random Sample ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
The World ◽  
Female Children ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions

COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, which considered a relative of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with possibility of transmission from animals to human and effect each of health and economic. Several preventative strategies and non-pharmaceutical interventions have been used to slow down the spread of COVID-19. The questionnaire contained 36 questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on children`s behaviors and language have been distributed online (Google form). Data collected after asking parents about their children behavior during quarantine, among the survey completers (n=469), 42.3% were female children, and 57.7 were male children. Results showed that quarantine has an impact on children`s behaviors and language, where stress and isolationism has a higher effect, while social relations had no impact. The majority of the respondents (75.0%) had confidence that community pharmacies can play an important role in helping families in protection their children`s behaviors and language as they made the highest contact with pharmacists during quarantine. One of the main recommendations that could be applied to help parents protection and improvement their children`s behaviors and language in quarantine condition base on simple random sample opinion is increasing the role of community pharmacies inpatient counseling and especially towards children after giving courses to pharmacists in child psychology and behavior. This could be helpful to family to protect their children, from any changing in them behaviors and language in such conditions in the future if the world reface such the same problem.

In search of lost space: The process of space planning through remembering and history

Organization ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio James Petani ◽  
Jeanne Mengis
Keyword(s):  
Production Of Space ◽  
Space Planning ◽  
The Past ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Contested Narratives

This article explores the role of remembering and history in the process of planning new spaces. We trace how the organizational remembering of past spaces enters the conception (i.e. planning) of a large culture center. By drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s reflections on history, time and memory, we analyze the processual interconnections of his spatial triad, namely between the planned, practiced, and lived moments of the production of space. We find that over time space planning involves recurrent, changing, and contested narratives on ‘lost spaces’, remembering happy spaces of the past that articulate a desire to regain them. The notion of lost space adds to our understanding of how space planning involves, through organizational remembering, a sociomaterial and spatiotemporal work of relating together different spaces and times in non-linear narratives of repetition.

scholarly journals Learning how: Body techniques, skill acquisition and the consumption of experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Murphy ◽  
Maurice Patterson ◽  
Lisa O’Malley
Keyword(s):  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Subject Formation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Body Techniques ◽  
And Diffusion

Although the skilful body has been ever-present in research accounts of consumption experiences, no sustained attention has been given to the acquisition of skills necessary for successful engagement with those experiences. In the present study, we report an empirical investigation of the acquisition and diffusion of embodied competencies among high-speed motorcyclists. In doing so, we mobilize the concept of reflexive body techniques in order to unpack the social, physical and mindful aspects of skilled embodiment. We demonstrate that skill acquisition is a necessary precursor to successful immersion into certain kinds of consumption experiences offered by the marketplace. Further, we underline the role of skill acquisition in subject formation.

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