Second order space
From Geography
Wolfgang Zierhofer made a distinction in space. He seperated space into first order space and second order space. According to Zierhofer: “The benefit of this distinction between first and second order spaces is to combine a notion of space as fundamental epistemic category, on the one hand, with the infinite empirical richness of particular object-spaces and locational schemes, on the other hand” (2005, p. 32).
Order spaces
To make a clear explanation about what second order space is, there has to be clarified what first order space contains. The first order space is 'the most abstract and general form' of space. The first order space is purely formal and consist in two different locations. This space offers nothing but possibility of distinction (Ziefhofer, 2005). The second order space carry a more 'specific meaning' which is more resolute than the first order spaces. As an example is adding a temporal dimension to spaces: "time" (Zierhofer, 2002, p. 1369).
By these distinctions in spaces, codes are created, for example we need a set of names in order to classify things. With this classification we are able to tell stories. For further explanation of this concept, see the wiki about this subject (Zierhofer, 2002).
When the codes are combined with distinctions with a specific meaning, there is a switch from first order space to second order space. This can be one or several second order spaces. Times represent a class of second order space. This is because time, regarded as temporal codes, are distinctions with a specific meaning (Zierhofer, 2002).
In the second order space the social and the spatial coalesce. Because one hand spaces are structuring the interactions and therefore structuring society. And on the other hand these interactions in society will lead to a way of structuring space (Zierhofer, 2005).
References:
Zierhofer, W. (2005). State, power and space. Social Geography, 1, 29-36.
Zierhofer, W. (2002). Speech acts and space(s): Language pragmatics and the discursive constitution of the social. Environment and Planning, 34, 1355-1372.
Contributors
Published by Lotte Brouwer & Inge Schoenmakers
Links added by Aafke Brus --AafkeBrus 10:43, 1 November 2011 (CET)
Edited by Lotte den Boogert, 7 oktober 2012
Edited by HuubVanDerZwaluw 18:37, 21 October 2012 (CEST)
