scholarly journals The conceptualization of the physical space in social theory: Opportunities for sociological analysis of spatial dimensions of a city

Sociologija ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-164
Author(s):  
Svetlana Radovic
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Urban Sociology ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Sociological Analysis ◽  
Spatial Turn ◽  
Spatial Dimensions ◽  
Representations Of Space

This paper presents different conceptions of the physical space in social theory aiming to review the consequences that they as metatheoretical assumptions have to the treatment and position of the spatial dimensions of the city in sociological analysis. The first part presents characteristics of the absolute concept of physical space and indicates the different implications of the adoption of this concept in urban sociology. After that, the text considers features of the relational concept of physical space whose adoption enabled the spatial turn in thesocial science, and its adequacy to the contemporary social context of movement, permeation, interaction between people, capital, goods and cultures. The third part highlights, the importance of understanding space as the product and context of practice - of produced, and not given, for the conceptualization of physical space as an inherent quality of social space, inseparable from time and the symbolic and subjective meanings. The conclusion points to the relevance of adopting Lefebvre?s production of space concept through representations of space, spatial practices and representations of space as an analytical framework for studying spatial form of city as the overall dimensions of social life.

How Not to Go Beyond Marx: A Reply to Worrell and Krier

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Capitalist Society ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Sociological Analysis ◽  
General Direction ◽  
Fatal Flaw ◽  
The Right ◽  
Political Imaginary

Worrell and Krier’s ‘Atopia Awaits! A Critical Sociological Analysis of Marx’s Political Imaginary’ raises serious issues regarding Marx’s legacy. They hold that a fatal flaw in Marx’s framework can be detected in his account of a post-capitalist society, which reveals a theoretically impoverished and politically dangerous neglect of essential features of social life. I argue that there are good reasons to reject Worrell and Krier’s thesis that Marx got immensely important things horribly wrong. Marx’s limited remarks on post-capitalist society are certainly inadequate in numerous respects. However, they point in the right general direction, and Worrell and Krier fail to offer a satisfactory alternative. The prospects for a critical social theory adequate to the immense challenges of the 21st century would be harmed if their readers agreed with the paper’s main thesis.

Territorial Stigma and the Politics of Resistance in a Parisian Banlieue: La Courneuve and Beyond

Urban Studies ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 2067-2083 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Garbin ◽  
Gareth Millington
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Sociological Analysis ◽  
Production Of Space ◽  
Relational Understanding ◽  
Symbolic Domination ◽  
Politics Of Resistance ◽  
Empirical Material

Drawing on research carried out in the Parisian banlieue of La Courneuve, this article contributes to the sociological analysis of urban marginalisation in post-riot France. Beginning with a discussion of the broad relationship between society and space, drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s relational understanding of social space and how these complexities are inscribed in the urban, it moves on to consider how this relates to Lefebvre’s production of space thesis. The main body of the article outlines some of the ways in which territorial stigmatisation is imposed and reproduced. Empirical material is treated here as ‘diagnostic’ of the symbolic domination that blights La Courneuve. Yet this material is also illuminative of the irregular and scattered forms that resistance to territorial stigma takes. It is suggested that the complex relationship between social and physical space is expressed through the construction of symbolic geographies of domination/resistance and negotiated through intricate ‘entanglements of power’.

Space

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Spatial Turn ◽  
Spatial Concepts ◽  
Theory And Criticism ◽  
Critical Attention ◽  
Rational Thought ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Spatial Terms ◽  
Representations Of Space

Space is a fundamental, ineliminable dimension of existence, which manifests itself in every aspect of material, psychological, and social life. It is also a purely dimensional category, in the sense that it cannot be directly perceived. All representations, therefore, have a necessary spatial dimension and all representations of space require a medium (like objects and events) through which its presence can be made manifest. Moreover, spatial concepts are essential tools for rational thought, indeed, quite possibly a foundational element of rationality itself. Spatial metaphors consequently permeate every aspect of thinking, including topics that are not usually taken to have an intrinsically spatial dimension—from the spatialization of time that Zeno exploited and Henri Bergson complained about to the heavily spatialized vocabulary of information technology (with its computer domains, IP addresses, etc.). This combination of existential importance and cognitive adaptability helps to explain space’s enduring appeal as a focus of critical attention in literary studies but also the difficulty of the subject: the multifariousness and polysemy of spatial terms leads to much confusion between different modes of spatiality and much reliance on loose and often mixed metaphors. It is important, then, for literary critics and theorists to attend closely to the zones of overlap and confusion that might cloud spatial analyses in order to maximize the explanatory potential of the cluster of analytic tools that fall under the heading of spatial analysis. This has become especially apparent in the wake of the spatial turn that took place in literary theory and criticism toward the end of the 20th century.

Durkheim and the Sociality of Space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Schroer
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Spatial Turn ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Spatial Formations

This chapter explores the topic of space in Émile Durkheim’s writings. It shows that spatial formations play a key role in his theory of modernity. He assigns to social morphology the task of systematically investigating the material substratum of societies. Of major concern in this regard is how different types of societies relate to space in distinctive ways. His sociological approach encompasses both an epistemological and a social-theoretic perspective on “space.” In effect, it can be argued that Durkheim is not primarily concerned with a society’s dependence on space, but rather with how space is shaped socially. Space is not an abstract category of thought, but the collectively produced foundation for all social activity. Contrary to many subsequent conceptions of space, Durkheim does not differentiate between physical and social space, arguing that physical space is inherently shaped by social practices of classification and division. It is this theoretical notion which, in light of the renewed attention given to materiality and space by proponents of the material and the spatial turn, makes his work seem surprisingly contemporary.

Topographies of the Possible

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laila Huber
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Political Field ◽  
Symbolic Space ◽  
Counter Narrative ◽  
Spatial Dimensions ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The City

This article explores the creation of new structures of participation and counter imaginaries within the city between the poles of arts and politics. On the basis of two case studies, one situated in the non-institutionalised artistic field and one in the non-institutionalised political field, I will explore narratives of a 'topography of the possible' in the city of Salzburg. Aiming to outline collage pieces of a topography of the possible and of counter-narrative in and of the city – the city is looked at in terms of collage, understood as overlapping layers of the three spatial dimensions materiality (physical space), sociability (social space) and the imaginary (symbolic space). These are understood as differing but interrelated spatial dimensions, each one unfolding forms of collective appropriation of a city. The focus lies on the creation of social relations and collective imaginaries on the micro-level of cultural and political self-organised initiatives, looked at under terms of narration and storytelling. My ethnographic project asks for the creative potentiality of a city and for the creative power of social relations and collective imaginaries.

scholarly journals Rumlige dimensioner i det sociale cyberspace

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 7-25
Author(s):  
Stine Gotved
Keyword(s):  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Spatial Dimensions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Spatial Construction ◽  
Shared Location

Stine Gotved: Spatial dimensions in social cyberspace The temporal and spatial dimensions of online communication establish the basic conditions for social life within cyberspace communities. Looking at the protocol-based constructions – whether they are communicating in real time or in asynchronous mode and whether they hold a shared location – it is clear that spatial construction matters for the sense of community. Parallel to offline life, the spatial dimensions in online communities are important for how the individual navigates, relates, and communicates. This article presents a typology of online space, in which three different kinds of spatial dimensions are defined. These three spatial dimensions can be found in most (if not all) online communities in varying degrees, and analysis of the patterns of spatial dimension within an online community provides useful information about the basic terms of social life within that community. The typology is discussed in light of Henri Lefebvre's work on spatiality and social space, in order to uncover the implicit inspirations as well as the limitations of his approach by the inclusion of offline spatial sociology. The typology presented here serves as an analytical tool to separate the different spatial dimensions of cyberspace, and hopefully holds the key to understanding many of the differences within online social life.

SOCIAL CONFLICT: ARCHETYPAL NATURE AND RESOLUTION MECHANISM

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (11) ◽  
pp. 294-305
Author(s):  
Ruslan Rafisovich Hasanov
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Constructive Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
Interdisciplinary Knowledge

On the basis of the archetypic analysis of development trends of a conflictological paradigm the author’s model of minimization of conflict potential in modern society is offered. Institutional construction is the basis for model that is harmonized with a factor of societal identity.It is noted that the problems of social conflicts, according to data from monitor- ing studies of the Ukrainian school of archetype, are increasingly shifted into the sphere of interpersonal relations. It is stimulated by the progression in society of so-called self-sufficient personalities, the “subjectification” of the social space, and at the same time narrowing down to the solution of entirely specific situations in which there is a collision of the interests of two or more parties.Instead, in order to find the optimal solution for resolving the conflict, it is necessary to have interdisciplinary knowledge, in particular understanding of the deep nature of such conflicts. Collision of points of view, thoughts, positions — a very frequent phenomenon of modern social life. In order to develop the correct line of behavior in various conflict situations, it is important to adequately under- stand the nature of the emergence of the modern conflict and the mechanisms for resolving them in substance. Knowledge of conflict nature enriches the culture of communication and makes human life and social groups not only more calm, but also creates conditions for constructive development. It is proved that in modern life one can not but agree with the statement that an individual carries first re- sponsibility for his own life and only then for the life of the social groups to which he belongs. And while making decisions within the framework of modern mecha- nisms (consensus), the properties of human psychology such as extroversion, emo- tionality, irrationality, intuition, externality, and executive ability will not at least contribute to such a task.That is why in the author’s research attracted attention to the archetypal na- ture of the conflict — the primitive images, ideas, feelings inherent in man as a bearer of the collective unconscious.

SOCIAL CONFLICT: ARCHETYPAL NATURE AND RESOLUTION MECHANISM

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 294-305
Author(s):  
Ruslan Rafisovich Hasanov
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Constructive Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
Interdisciplinary Knowledge

On the basis of the archetypic analysis of development trends of a conflictological paradigm the author’s model of minimization of conflict potential in modern society is offered. Institutional construction is the basis for model that is harmonized with a factor of societal identity. It is noted that the problems of social conflicts, according to data from monitoring studies of the Ukrainian school of archetype, are increasingly shifted into the sphere of interpersonal relations. It is stimulated by the progression in society of so-called self-sufficient personalities, the “subjectification” of the social space, and at the same time narrowing down to the solution of entirely specific situations in which there is a collision of the interests of two or more parties. Instead, in order to find the optimal solution for resolving the conflict, it is necessary to have interdisciplinary knowledge, in particular understanding of the deep nature of such conflicts. Collision of points of view, thoughts, positions — a very frequent phenomenon of modern social life. In order to develop the correct line of behavior in various conflict situations, it is important to adequately understand the nature of the emergence of the modern conflict and the mechanisms for resolving them in substance. Knowledge of conflict nature enriches the culture of communication and makes human life and social groups not only more calm, but also creates conditions for constructive development. It is proved that in modern life one can not but agree with the statement that an individual carries first responsibility for his own life and only then for the life of the social groups to which he belongs. And while making decisions within the framework of modern mechanisms (consensus), the properties of human psychology such as extroversion, emotionality, irrationality, intuition, externality, and executive ability will not at least contribute to such a task. That is why in the author’s research attracted attention to the archetypal nature of the conflict — the primitive images, ideas, feelings inherent in man as a bearer of the collective unconscious.

Chinese "Cancer Villages"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajiang Chen ◽  
Pengli Cheng ◽  
Yajuan Luo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Sociological Analysis ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Relationship

The phenomenon of "cancer villages" has emerged in many parts of rural China, drawing media attention and becoming a fact of social life. However, the relationship between pollution and disease is often hard to discern. Through sociological analysis of several villages with different social and economic structures, the authors offer a comprehensive, historically grounded analysis of the coexistence between the incidence of cancer, environmental pollution and villagers’ lifestyles, as well as the perceptions, claims and responses of different actors. They situate the appearance of "cancer villages" in the context of social, economic and cultural change in China, tracing the evolution of the issue over two decades, and providing deep insights into the complex interactions and trade-offs between economic growth, environmental change and public health.

HUNIAN VERTIKAL MONODUALISME (INDIVIDUALISME-KOLEKTIVISME)

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1111
Author(s):  
Hidayatul Reza ◽  
Franky Liauw
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Social Force ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Self Actualization ◽  
Basic Human Needs ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Self Potential

The conflict between the two social understandings between individualism and collectivism does not need to be clashed, but instead it needs to be managed according to values, morals and ethics. So that it can become a social force for social life. In this issue, architects can play a role in cultivating a 'space' that is fit to the problem of individualism-collectivism. The research method used is a comparative and synergistic method. Literature in the form of journals and books on the phenomenon of individualism-collectivism is used as a reference and comparison. To be able to change a person's attitude, it is necessary to have an environmental role that creates events and events that occur repeatedly and continuously, gradually being absorbed into the individual and influencing the formation of an attitude. In order for this approach to be applied easily, this approach must be applied to basic human needs. In basic human needs there is a hierarchy of the most basic, namely physiological needs, the most basic needs to be fulfilled because they include things that are vital for survival, namely, clothing, food, and shelter. So in order to answer this issue, the vertical housing function is fixed. In addition, vertical housing is considered important because it responds to limited land and the increasing human population. Vertical housing with a collaborative space in grouped dwelling unit concept, because offers many possibilities, from people who live together sharing physical space to communities that share values, interests and philosophies of life. Grouping system is also be an important value and in community prefer to live in small community amount 4-10 members with various background. Consisted by good quality personal space and supporting facilities to develop self-potential as self-actualization. Keywords:  collaborative; collectivism; individualism; monodualism; self actualization Abstrak Konflik dua paham sosial antara individualisme dengan kolektivisme tidak perlu dibenturkan, tetapi justru perlu dikelola menurut nilai-nilai, moral, dan etika, sehingga dapat menjadi kekuatan sosial bagi kehidupan bermasyarakat. Dalam isu ini, arsitek dapat berperan dalam mengolah ‘ruang’ yang fit terhadap permasalahan individualisme-kolektivisme. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode komparatif dan sinergis. Literatur berupa jurnal dan buku tentang fenomena individualisme-kolektivisme, dijadikan sebagai acuan dan pembanding. Untuk dapat mengubah sikap seseorang diperlukan peran lingkungan untuk menciptakan kejadian-kejadian dan peristiwa-peristiwa yang terjadi berulang-ulang dan terus-menerus, lama-kelamaan secara bertahap diserap kedalam diri individu dan memengaruhi terbentuknya suatu sikap. Agar pendekatan ini dapat diterapkan dengan mudah maka pendekatan ini harus diterapkan pada kebutuhan dasar manusia. Pada kebutuhan dasar manusia terdapat hierarki yang paling dasar yaitu kebutuhan fisiologis (physiological needs), kebutuhan yang paling dasar untuk dipenuhi karena meliputi hal-hal yang vital bagi kelangsungan hidup yaitu, sandang, pangan, dan papan. Sehingga untuk menjawab isu ini, ditetapkan fungsi hunian vertikal. Selain itu, hunian vertikal dinilai penting karena untuk mejawab keterbatasan lahan dan semakin tingginya populasi manusia. Hunian vertikal dengan mengusung konsep ruang kolaboratif pada setiap unit hunian yang dikelompokkan, karena menawarkan banyak kemungkinan, mulai dari orang-orang yang tinggal bersama dengan berbagi ruang fisik hingga komunitas yang juga berbagi nilai, minat, dan filosofi hidup. Sistem pengelompokan penghuni juga menjadi nilai penting dan dalam komunitas lebih menyukai jumlah yang sedikit 4-10 orang dengan latar belakang yang berbeda. Ditunjang dengan kualitas ruang pribadi yang baik dan fasilitas penunjang yang dapat mengembangkan potensi sebagai bentuk aktualisai diri.

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