SGD - Latest Articles

Community development and social actor theories: a case study in Montréal (Canada)

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Community development and social actor theories: a case study in Montréal (Canada)

Social Geography Discussions, 8, 61-81, 2012

Author(s): G. Sénécal

Research focusing on community development processes is increasingly making use of the notion of actor. The actor is engaged in a system of actions. A range of sociological theories has given rise to the various types of social actors, including the theatrical actor, the strategic actor, the actor-network or the reflexive actor. We review these theories in an attempt to define an analytical framework, by employing what we call a tinkering methodology. The aim is to gain insight on the interactions that bind together the various stakeholders by function (acting and the actors' roles) on the fields of action (the scenes of interaction and real interventions) and on effects (the results of these actions). We then propose to apply our analytical framework to a case study on the process of developing an action plan in the Villeray district of Montréal (Québec, Canada).

The Lumen Gini Coefficient: a satellite imagery derived human development index

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Lumen Gini Coefficient: a satellite imagery derived human development index

Social Geography Discussions, 8, 27-59, 2012

Author(s): C. D. Elvidge, K. E. Baugh, S. J. Anderson, P. C. Sutton, and T. Ghosh

The "Lumen Gini Coefficient" is a simple, objective, spatially explicit and globally available empirical measurement of human development derived solely from nighttime satellite imagery and population density. There is increasing recognition that the distribution of wealth and income amongst the population in a nation or region correlates strongly with both the overall happiness of that population and the environmental quality of that nation or region. Measuring the distribution of wealth and income at national and regional scales is an interesting and challenging problem. Gini coefficients derived from Lorenz curves are a well-established method of measuring income distribution. Nonetheless, there are many shortcomings of the Gini coefficient as a measure of income or wealth distribution. Gini coefficients are typically calculated using national level data on the distribution of income through the population. Such data are not available for many countries and the results are generally limited to single values representing entire countries. In this paper we develop an alternative measure of the distribution of "human development", called the "Lumen Gini coefficient", that is derived without the use of monetary measures of wealth and is capable of providing a spatial depiction of differences in development within countries.

Just passing through: the risky mobilities of hazardous materials transport

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Just passing through: the risky mobilities of hazardous materials transport

Social Geography Discussions, 8, 1-25, 2012

Author(s): J. Cidell

The scientific construction of risk is usually based on the probability of an event occurring in a specific location from a specific hazard. Hazardous waste transport is an example of a risk source that is fixed in neither time nor space, with materials traveling through the landscape. Residents living along fixed transportation routes likely to experience an increase in the amount and potency of hazardous materials traveling through their communities draw on distant places and spaces in order to define the risk they face as they try to make absent places and materials present. However, because those places and spaces are distant and absent, regulatory officials can resist their inclusion by arguing that only what is on site matters. This site of struggle over sources and construction of risks can best be understood through Law and Mol's spatiality of fire space. Using two North American case studies, this paper draws on the concepts of fire space and mobilities to explain the nature of the risk that mobile materials pose, including the disconnect between citizens' objections to increased hazardous materials transport and the environmental review and regulatory processes meant to prevent catastrophes from occurring.

Investigating rural community behaviour after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake: a case study of Kawaguchi town, Japan

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Investigating rural community behaviour after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake: a case study of Kawaguchi town, Japan

Social Geography Discussions, 7, 39-68, 2011

Author(s): M. Gismondi

Every year, earthquakes cause economic and human losses around the globe. In Japan, a great deal of attention has focused on improving the safety of structures and individuals in the last decade. The introduction here of several new related policies, together with continuous discussion of such policies, has raised the level of environmental security nationwide. Despite this significant effort, individual preparedness and awareness are still lacking, especially in rural areas, where technological advancements and policy applications often arrive late. In this paper, Kawaguchi town in Niigata Prefecture, Japan was chosen as study area because of both the major damage experienced during the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake and the particularly dynamic socio-cultural activities of the community. Using interviews and questionnaires to collect information, this study aims to investigate the causes of local variations in community behaviour after the earthquake. Geographic location as well as everyday social relationships, social interactions and organisation are considered the main causes of the differences in community organisation during the recovery process. This study highlights the necessity for more localised emergency education in order to promote longer lasting awareness and preparation in rural areas.

Vollzug und Sprache Physischer Geographie und die Frage geographischen Takts

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Vollzug und Sprache Physischer Geographie und die Frage geographischen Takts

Social Geography Discussions, 7, 1-37, 2011

Author(s): B. Zahnen

Der Aufsatz versteht sich als ein Beitrag zu der sozial- oder kulturwissenschaftlichen bzw. humangeographischen Diskussion um die Möglichkeit der Einbeziehung einer Dimension der Natur bzw. der „Materialität“, zugleich aber auch als ein theoretischer Entwurf einer Physischen Geographie, die nicht mehr in dichotomer Entgegensetzung zur Humangeographie zu verstehen ist. Ausgehend davon, dass es Physische Geographen bzw. Geowissenschaftler gibt, die ihr Tun als „Gespräch mit der Erde“ bezeichnen, deckt der Aufsatz zum einen auf, inwiefern dieses Tun aufgrund einer grundlegenden Ebene, die sich aus dem Prozess der eigenen Erfahrung übergänglicher Naturgebilde der Erde ergibt, als etwas qualifiziert werden kann, das eine gewisse Form „doppelter Hermeneutik“ involviert. Zum anderen wird gezeigt, dass aufgrund dieser grundlegenden Ebene die Möglichkeit eines revidierten Verständnisses von Physischer Geographie in dem derzeitigen physisch-geographischen Tun eines naturwissenschaftlichen Selbstverständnisses bereits angelegt ist. Ferner wird deutlich, dass sich in diesem Zuge neue Zugangsmöglichkeiten zur Geschichte des Fachs ergeben. In diesem Sinne wird die alte Idee eines „geographischen Takts“ neu beleuchtet und entfaltet.

"Doing" cultural geography/"being" a cultural geographer – reflections by an "accidental geographer" on practising cultural geography in the Netherlands

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0200

"Doing" cultural geography/"being" a cultural geographer – reflections by an "accidental geographer" on practising cultural geography in the Netherlands

Social Geography Discussions, 6, 165-185, 2010

Author(s): B. van Hoven

This paper comprises reflections by the author on developments in cultural geography in the Netherlands. In so doing, it briefly explores the historical context of geography in the Netherlands and considers reasons for what could be construed as a "lagging behind" in Dutch cultural geography (when compared to the UK). The paper then zooms in on the local and personal context of the author at the University of Groningen, thus illustrating "a" Dutch cultural geography, impacted by research traditions and teaching contexts. Ways in which research here may materialise into interesting new developments in cultural geography in the Netherlands (and elsewhere) are proposed in conclusion.

In diesem Artikel reflektiert die Autorin auf Entwicklungen in der Kulturgeografie in den Niederlanden. Der Artikel beschreibt kurz den historischen Kontext der Geografie in den Niederlanden und erörtert Gründe für ein mögliches „zurückbleiben“, zumindest im Vergleich zum Vereinigten Königreich. Folglich wird eingezoomt auf den lokalen und persönlichen Kontext der Autorin an der Universität von Groningen. Somit wird „eine“ niederländische Kulturgeografie dargestellt, beeinflusst durch Forschungstraditionen und Lehre. Schliesslich werden mögliche Wege zu interessanten neuen Entwicklingen in der Kulturgeografie in den Niederlanden (und woanders) vorgestellt.

Intercultural interaction and "situational places": a perspective for urban cultural geography within and beyond the performative turn

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Intercultural interaction and "situational places": a perspective for urban cultural geography within and beyond the performative turn

Social Geography Discussions, 6, 141-164, 2010

Author(s): P. Dirksmeier and I. Helbrecht

With the performative turn in social sciences and the humanities the concept of performance has arrived in human geography. Performance denotes an understanding of social actions and practices as constitutive for non-representational realities. This paper looks at the relationship between places and performance especially in urban geography and develops the new term "situational place" to grasp the increasing phenomenon of (intercultural) encounters in the cities of modern world society. "Situational places" are situated performances of these (intercultural) interactions between strangers in cities of the contemporary world society. With the aid of performance theory the influence of the omnipresent interactions between strangers in cities on urban space is conceptualized. Therewith, we hope to present some fruitful theoretical and empirical possibilities for a cultural urban geography within and beyond the performative turn.

Mit der performativen Wende in den weiteren Sozialwissenschaften ist das kulturtheoretische Konzept der Performanz in der Humangeographie angekommen. Performanz verweist auf ein Verständnis von sozialen Handlungen und Praktiken, das als konstitutiv für die Herstellung von Realitäten aufgefasst wird. Der Aufsatz fokussiert die wechselseitige Beziehung von Orten und Performanzen speziell in der kulturwissenschaftlich informierten Stadtgeographie. Er entwickelt den Begriff des „situativen Ortes“, um eine räumliche Konsequenz der interkulturellen Begegnungen in der Weltgesellschaft zu erfassen. „Situativer Ort“ bezeichnet die räumliche Situiertheit der Performanzen von interkulturellen Interaktionen zwischen Fremden in den Städten der Weltgesellschaft. Mithilfe der Performanztheorie konzeptionalisiert der Beitrag mithin den Einfluss der omnipräsenten Interaktionen zwischen Fremden auf den urbanen Raum. Das Ziel dieses Vorgehens ist ein Aufzeigen der theoretischen wie empirischen Möglichkeiten in der kulturgeographischen Stadtforschung nach der performativen Wende.

Der Konstruktivismus lernt laufen: „Doing more-than-representational geography“

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Der Konstruktivismus lernt laufen: „Doing more-than-representational geography“

Social Geography Discussions, 6, 109-140, 2010

Author(s): A. Strüver

Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit verkörperten Subjekten als „laufenden“ Themen einer Sozial- und Kulturgeographie nach dem Cultural Turn, die die Errungenschaft der so genannten „Neuen Kulturgeographie“ radikalisiert, um dadurch den Repräsentationsbegriff um performative Praktiken sowie deren materialisierte Verkörperungen zu erweitern. Anhand der „Versportung“ von städtischen Alltagsräumen geht es dabei insbesondere um das co-konstitutive Wechselverhältnis von verkörperten Subjekten und sozialräumlichen Verhältnissen mithilfe von Subjektkonzeptionen im Anschluss an Foucault und Butler. In Kombination mit dem interaktionistischen Subjekt- und Praxisverständnis der Mikrosoziologie wird schließlich die gesellschaftliche Raumproduktion vom Subjekt her gedacht – einem Subjekt, das sowohl konstituiert durch als auch Konstituens von Gesellschafts- und Raumstrukturen ist.

This contribution concentrates on embodied subjects as "on-going" topics of a social and cultural geography after and beyond the cultural turn – a geography that radicalises the achievements of the so called "new cultural geography" by way of extending the concept of representations in order to focus on performative practices, materialities and embodiments.

Taking the "sportification" of urban everyday spaces as example, it elaborates on the co-constitutive interrelations between embodied subjects and sociospatial conditions with reference to Foucault's and Butler's conceptions of the subject. Eventually, these conceptions are combined with a rather micro-sociological and interactive notion of subjects and practices ("doings"), aiming at an understanding of the social production of space that gives special attention to the subject – a subject that is both constituted by and constitutive of social and spatial structures.

Erzählter Raum und Erzählraum: (Kultur)Raumkonstruktion zwischen Diskurs und Performanz

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Erzählter Raum und Erzählraum: (Kultur)Raumkonstruktion zwischen Diskurs und Performanz

Social Geography Discussions, 6, 75-107, 2010

Author(s): A. Harendt and D. Sprunk

Ziel des Aufsatzes ist es, die mediale Erzeugung geographischer Wirklichkeiten durch so genannte „Weltenkenner“ im Sinne einer Geographie der Medien zu untersuchen. Es gilt die Frage zu beantworten, mit welchen Zuschreibungen ausgewählte „Weltenkenner“ territoriale Raumausschnitte belegen und welche raumbezogenen Gegenwartsdiagnosen von ihnen gegeben werden. Weiterhin sind die Gründe für ihre Autorität und Popularität zu klären. Über zwei theoretische Zugänge – Diskurs einerseits und Performanz andererseits – wird sich der raumbezogenen Deutungs- und Sinnstiftungsarbeit deutschsprachiger „Weltenkenner“ angenähert. Die theoretische Verbindung der verbalen Diskurs- und Argumentebene mit der bild- und körperbezogenen Performanzebene kombiniert sprachliche und nicht-sprachliche Weisen der Welterzeugung. Beide, so unsere These, sind konstitutiv für eine Analyse der Weltenkenner und ihrer Wirklichkeitskonstruktionen. Für das Zusammendenken der beiden Ebenen schlagen wir die Konzepte des Erzählten Raumes und Erzählraums vor.

The aim of the article is to analyze the construction of geographical realities in the media by so called world "insiders". Which attributes do the world "insiders" ascribe to spatial territories and which dia- and prognoses of the contemporary world do they offer? In addition, the question has to be raised as to why their interpretations are so appealing and popular. Two theoretical approaches – discourse and performance/performativity – form the framework of the analysis. The theoretical link between the discursive and argumentative level on the one hand and the performative level on the other hand combines verbal and non-verbal geography-making. Our claim is that both levels are essential for an analysis of the world "insiders" and their ways of world construction. To integrate these two levels we suggest the concepts of Narrative space and Narrated space.

Families and food: beyond the "cultural turn"?

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Families and food: beyond the "cultural turn"?

Social Geography Discussions, 6, 51-74, 2010

Author(s): P. Jackson

This paper provides some personal reflections on the "cultural turn" in human geography including a tentative chronology of events. It outlines some of the characteristics of the "cultural turn" and some of the criticisms that have been levelled against it. In the body of the paper, I attempt to assess the value of the "cultural turn", conceptually and methodologically, as applied to two recent research projects on the geography of food and families. The paper concludes that the "cultural turn" greatly enriched the study of human geography through its analysis of discourse, representation and practice. But other approaches are required to explain broader changes in political-economy and the materiality of nature. While the "cultural turn" contributed to our understanding of materiality and our place in a more-than-human world, geographers are now also embracing other approaches such as those informed by actor-network theory and geographies of emotion, embodiment and affect. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research on the political and moral economies of food, focusing on contemporary consumer anxieties at a range of geographical scales.