Henri Lefebvre

From Geography

Henri Lefebvre (1901-1991) was a French philosopher, sociologist and intellectual who was generally considered to be a neo-Marxist. Lefebvre studied philosophy at the University of Paris (Sorbonne) and graduated in 1920. In 1928 Lefebvre joined the French Communist Party (PCF). Between 1930 and 1940 he worked as a professor of philosophy, after which he joined the French Resistance in 1940. In 1947 Lefebvre published his work 'Critique of Everyday Life', which was one of the major inspirations for the founding of the COBRA movement.

Another important work of Henri Lefebvre, especially for the discipline of Human Geography, was his 'The Production of Space (1974)'. Lefebvre’s main argument in this book is that space is a complex social construction (or product) which influences spatial actions and perceptions (Sunderland, 2009). He argues that space is not a pre-existing, neutral given, but more an ongoing production of spatial relations. By saying this, Lefebvre situates himself in post-structuralist or post-modern discourse (Canete, 2004). In that sense, Lefebvre introduced the concept of ‘social space’. According to Lefebvre, this social space is both physical as well as conceptual. Within this social space the cultural life of society takes place. It’s formed and produced by patterns of social interaction. But it’s also the other way around, i.e. the social space also produces and shapes these social patterns, it shapes society (Sunderland, 2009). In order to explain how space is produced, Lefebvre developed the so called 'Spatial Triad'. This Spatial Triad consists of three different types of space, namely: 'spatial practice', 'representations of space' and 'representational spaces'. The spatial practice, also reffered to as 'first space' or 'conceived space', can be seen as the physical space around us. In this 'first space', spatial relations between objects and products are produced and reproduced. The representations of space, also reffered to as 'second space' or 'conceived space', could be seen as a conceptual and objective type of space. In this, space is represented by signs, codes, models etc. Representational spaces, also called 'third space' or 'lived space', refer to the space we actually live in. In this 'lived space' social relations take place. Representational spaces consist of the lived experiences that emerge as a result of the relation between first space (spatial practice) and second space (representations of space). According to Lefebvre, it's the interaction of these three processes over time that produces space, or reality (Canete, 2004).

References:

Canete, A. (2004). The Production of Space by H. Lefebvre. Arizona State University, Arizona.

Sunderland, M.J. (2009). Henri Lefebvre and The Production of Space. Society, 17, 18-19.

Published by Marijn Termorshuizen & Gert Gerritsen