The Social Charakter of Space

Abstract

From the sociological point of view space is as it is seen in human experience and activity. Hence the notion of social space is used in different ways with a different meaning given to it each time: firstly, social space means socially created space; secondly, space acquires a social character when it is marked by groups of people inhabiting it or by their specific activities; and thirdly, space is social because it has a definite value for people, it is the collective memory of the society, or it is owned in the material or symbolic way. The one and only, objectively measurable space does not exist as we always deal with a socially defined distance, with the relative space-time.

The social character of space is the reason why it may be an important subject of sociological research in numerous dimensions, beginning with the way in which space is created and utilized, through its perception and valorization, and ending with assimilating and owning it. Recent literature dealing with this subject, customarily included among works on sociology of the town, exceeds considerably the ecological perspective used up till now which deals with the shaping of social-special structures; it also exceeds the behavioral perspective concentrated on spacial behaviors and the culturalist one examining urbanism as a specific life-style, aiming at new, more comprehensive approaches. The new trend in the interests seems to progress from sociology of the town towards sociology of the space and space-time of everyday life.