Towards a Communicative Construction of Spaces
International Conference
28th and 29th of May 2010
at Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning, Erkner
After the ‘cultural turn’ in socio-scientific spatial research it has become common knowledge that only on the basis of shared human interpretations spaces become social reality. Currently there is a consensus that spaces are culturally shaped and have to be conceived as a ‘social construction’. While the theoretical premise of the social construction of space is widely accepted attempts to elaborate this premise considerably differ.
In some of the approaches the role of ‘knowledge’ is referred to. Several authors reflect on the fact that human interpretations and attributions form the basis of the constitution and shaping of spaces. Other authors prioritise the role of human ‘acting’ and refer to action theories. In the meantime, furthermore, the importance has been realized that ‘communication’ has for a social construction of space. However, in this field systematic research has not established yet. This holds true for the sociology of space, social geography and planning sciences. Scientists in spatial research only sporadically have turned to communication-theoretical approaches.
While in humanities and in social sciences the communicative turn has prevailed since the 1990s, it is yet to arrive in socio-scientific spatial research. This is remarkable, since spaces have neither been thought of, nor were they planned or designed by subjects beyond communicative processes – whether in past or presence. Even in simple societies a communicative exchange of the subjects’ space perceptions is necessary to make space an intersubjectively shared reality. This is even true for modern, functionally differentiated societies, where spatial images and spatial design are negotiated to a great extent communicatively, often in broad public. There are good reasons why terms like governance, network formation, cooperation and participation – that in the end refer to communication processes – became common in the context of spatial development. Actors in the field of spatial development became conscious of the fact that negotiation processes are necessary, that convincing and reaching of consensus are to be accomplished. Marketing of cities and regions is in another way an example for the importance that is attributed to communication. In the context of professionally designed communication processes spatial images are actively managed and controlled. These measures aim at the production of specific spatial images and at the promotion of the most advantageous urban or regional development possible. However, these forms of marketing communications fairly often reach their limits.
All this suggests that communicative processes within socio-scientific spatial research deserve more attention. There is a lack of systematic knowledge on mechanisms of communicative construction of space. We know only little about communicative processes within groups, networks and public discourses dealing with spatial development. There is a particular lack of knowledge with regard to the question of how certain spatial images emerge communicatively, how they are communicatively mediated and spread, how they find acceptance and how they finally find their expression in spatial forms, or how they are blocked and defeated.
On the international and interdisciplinary conference theoretical and empirical concepts were refleceted that are adequate for analysing the questions spatial research brings up.
The conference was conducted in the context of the section sociology of knowledge and with the support of the section sociology of cities and regions of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie. Financial background was given by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Furthermore the section sociology of knowledge awarded a grant.
Organiser of the conference:
PD Dr. Gabriela B. Christmann
Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning
Head of Research Department 3
“Dynamics of communication, knowledge and spatial development”
Flakenstr. 28-31
15537 Erkner
Germany
Phone : 0049 – (0) 3362 – 793 – 270
Fax : 0049 – (0) 3362 – 793 – 111
E-Mail: Christmann_at_irs-net.de
