System of interaction

From Geography

In the globalized society of nowadays there are several systems in which social relations and actions over distances take place. The system of structure and the system of interaction are two examples. These two systems are much related to eachother. A system of interaction is not a structure in itself, but does have a lot of qualities a structure also has. Giddens argues that a region is a spatial interaction structure. Within a region, a piece of space is organized by pregiven material interactions, because certain actions require interaction (Werlen, 2009, p.51).

Interaction is defined by Giddens as an ‘activity linking social and spatial structure by means of institutional interrelations’ (Werlen, 2009, p.53). Interaction enables communication among people and exists mainly in the form of face-to-face communication, also called speech. The language used in the speech is the structure and shapes the monologue between the speaker and the interpreter. Languages consist out of rules, in order that the interpreter understands what the speaker is saying and what he means with his speech. If the structure (language) is well formed, the system of interaction (speech) is successful. So the process of speaking structures the system of interaction (Olson & Yahia, 2006, p.3).

References:

Werlen, B. (2009). Structurationist geography. Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany. Elsevier

Olson, N., Yahia,K.(2006). Structuration theory: Giddens Explored. Vinddatum 2 november 2010. Url: http://socgeo.ruhosting.nl/html/files/geoapp/Werkstukken/Giddens.pdf

Published by Christine Hutting and Milou Pollemans