City as an arena
From Geography
The city as an arena of (hi)stories is a metaphor thought of by Michel de Certeau. De Certeau was a philosopher, a theologian and historian. The city as an arena of (hi)stories means that the city functions as a symbol for language.
Companies, governments and other powerful constitutions use strategy in shaping their city (or society) in order to continually use their power to assimilate the everyday man. This is manifested physically as well as in the products it creates.
The individuals, the tactics, are trying to resist this use of strategy by shaping their city and environment as they feel and experience it. Tactics take place within the boundaries of strategies. For instance a homeless man who makes his home using cardboard.
The city can be seen as an arena of (hi)story because for many centuries strategy and tactic are in warfare to tell their own story. The city being drawn by the past and the present. The city can also been seen as a panopticon. In this notion you see the buildings in the city as a shaping power. Pedestrians walking by them feel or think that someone is watching them from above. This feeling or thinking then controls the paths people take because they might be seen if they wonder off the pavement ("Michel de certeau", n.d.).
References:
Certeau, M. (1984) The Practice of Everyday Life. University of California Press, Berkeley (electronic version)
Crang, M. (2000) Relics, places and unwritten geographies in the work of Michel de Certeau (1925-1986). In: Crang, M. & Thrift, N. (eds.) Thinking space. Routledge, London, pp.136-153.
Michel de certeau (n.d.). Found 19 oktober 2011, at Tulane University New Orleans: www.tulane.edu/~tawatts/DeCerteau.doc
Made by: Ingram Smit s4091841 & Henkjan van Maanen s4069048 (assigment 3)
Edited by Jorn Joosten s3027791 & Loek Freulich 3s004295
