Spatial embedding / spatial disembedding
From Geography
Spatial embedding and spatial disembedding are two terms used by Werlen to describe social life styles, he uses them extensively in his concept of world binding.
Contents |
Spatial embedding
Spatial embedding describes a life-style in which the spaces where everyday life takes place are in close proximity to the agent. This is a strong characteristic of traditional societies whereby social institutions and religion are often local or regional and in which the boundaries of these traditional societies and cultures are often marked by clear spatial borders. Such traditional societies rely much of face-to-face communication and there is little to no space-time distanciation.
| Table 1. Traditional life forms and regional societies have several characteristics that define their spatial embedding: |
| 1. Traditions intertwine past, present, and future |
| 2. Kinship organizes and stabilizes social relations over time |
| 3. Birth, age, and sex determine social positions |
| 4. Face-to-face situations dominate communication |
| 5. Small amount of interregional communication |
| 6. The local village constitutes the familiar life context |
(Table 1 from: Werlen, B. (1995))
Spatial disembedding
Due to abstract systems (money, writing and expert systems: advancements in engineering such as aircrafts, cars and highways) and communication systems (e.g. telephones, the internet) the space in which everyday life takes place, has become much larger over the centuries (space/time distanciation, or a more popular term: globalization). Interaction over great distances has become possible in real-time, accelerating the speed of life and social transformation. It is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to define spatial characteristics of specific cultures and life forms, Werlen describes this situation as spatial disembedding.
| Table 2. Modern life forms and globalized societies can be defined as spatially disembedded from the following characteristics: |
| 1. Everyday routines sustain ontological security |
| 2. Globally observable cultures, life forms, and lifestyles |
| 3. Production and valued work determine social positions |
| 4. Abstract systems (money, writing, and expert systems) enable mediated social relations over enormous distances |
| 5. Worldwide communication systems |
| 6. Global village as anonymous context of experience |
(Table 2 from: Werlen, B. (1995))
References
Werlen, B. (2009) Structurationist Geography. In: International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.
Werlen, B. (1995). Sozialgeographie allta¨glicher Regionalisierungen. Band 1: Zur Ontologie von Gesellschaft und Raum, p 104. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. In (2009) International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.
Contributors
Published by Robbert Wilmink --RobbertWilmink 09:46, 11 October 2011 (CEST)
