scholarly journals CRISIS OF URBAN IDENTITY: AMBIVALENCE OF VALUE GROUNDS AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-371
Author(s):  
O.V. Sannikova
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
City Life ◽  
Social Perspectives ◽  
Places Of Memory ◽  
City History ◽  
The City

The article discusses the problem of urban identity in the opposition between global and local processes in urban space. Urban identity is viewed as a type of individual’s social identity in relation to his/her affiliation to a certain urban community. The study of the causes and effects of the urban identity’s crisis is based on the notion of this identity as valuable and meaningful cohesion of individuals and urban community. The problem of urban identity is studied via the analysis of modern concepts of social change in urban space, related to mainstream of human resources, financial, material, information resources. The article indicates that the crisis of identity is represented in the potential loss of individual and personal links to the city, in the loss of affiliation to the place of living, in the vanishing demand for urban identity. The notions of retrospective and prospective urban identity are introduced to identify the ground to maintain urban identity. Retrospective urban identity is based on the existence of so-called “places of memory” in urban space that integrate physical space, fragments of collective memory and individual valuable attitude to this memory as the inclusion to the city history. Prospective urban identity rests on individual’s cohesion and affiliation to future states of urban community as a source of potential social options. Assessments of directions for social change are figured out in positive and negative prospective urban identity, which defines residents’ migration intentions and their active participation in the city life.

scholarly journals The space of Chisinau as a resource for the formation of urban identity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Ivanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
East European ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The City ◽  
Core Features

This paper examines the case of Chisinau urban milieu in the context of the ongoing process of transition. The capital city of the Republic of Moldova represents the reflection of society as a whole, being not just a political, cultural and economic center of the country, but a migration hub for the rest of the Moldovan population as well. As a post-Soviet and East-European city, it combines features of both modernization and degradation, generating such phenomena as ruralisation, gated communities in the center of the city, semi-public spaces, chaotic parking, lack of city planning, lack of heterogeneity of the urban space, etc. The urban milieu of Chisinau represents a complicated formation of coexisting social strata with different cultures, memories, aesthetics and urban identities, which can be sometimes conflicting. More uniform representations about the city need the actualization of its symbolic capital, as well as the creation and maintenance of a brand, which should unite core features of different urban identities.

scholarly journals Street Names through Sociological Lenses. Part II: Constructionism and Utilitarianism

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Stelian Rusu
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Social Constructionism ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Previous Issue ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
The Real Estate Market ◽  
The City

AbstractAs toponymic means of inscribing urban space, street names have been addressed mainly by human geographers, who have articulated the field of critical place-name studies. In this paper, I continue the endeavor started in the previous issue published in Social Change Review of reading street names through sociological lenses. Whereas in the first part of this two-part contribution the analysis was made from functionalist and conflictualist perspectives, this second and final part employs social constructionism and the utilitarian theoretical tradition in making sociological sense of street nomenclatures. First, conceiving of street names as forming discursively constructed linguistic landscapes, the paper shows how urban namescapes – the “city-text” – are written, erased, and rewritten to reflect the shifting political powers. Second, the paper examines the neoliberal processes of place branding and toponymic commodification by which street names are turned into sought-after urban commodities with transactional value on the real estate market. The paper concludes by inviting sociologists to join the conversation on street names, which should become an important topic of sociological reflection.

scholarly journals A Study on Urban Furniture: Nicosia Old City

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mine Kuset Bolkaner ◽  
Selda İnançoğlu ◽  
Buket Asilsoy
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
The South ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
South Side ◽  
The North ◽  
North Side ◽  
Old City ◽  
Street Furniture ◽  
The City

Urban furniture can be defined as aesthetics and comfort elements that reflect the identity of a city and enable the urban space to become livable. Urban furniture is an important element of the city in order to improve the quality of urban life, to create a comfortable and reliable environment and to meet the needs of the users in the best way. For designing these elements, the social, economic, cultural and architectural structure of the city should be considered and evaluated. It is important to adapt the urban furniture to the urban texture and to the cultural structure achieving an urban identity, in order to ensure the survival and sustainability of the historical environments. In this study, a study was carried out in the context of urban furniture in Nicosia Walled City, which has many architectural cultures with its historical texture. In this context, firstly the concept of urban identity and urban furniture was explained and then, information about urban furniture was given in historical circles with urban furniture samples from different countries. As a field study, a main axis was determined and the streets and squares on this axis were discussed. These areas have been explored starting from Kyrenia Gate in North Nicosia; İnönü Square, Girne Street, Atatürk Square, Arasta Square, Lokmacı Barricade and on the south side Ledra Street and Eleftherias Square. In this context, the existing furniture in the North and South were determined and evaluated in terms of urban identity accordingly. As a result, it can be suggested that the existing street furniture equipments, especially on the north side, do not have any characteristic to emphasize the urban identity. According to the findings, it was determined that the urban furniture in the streets and squares on the north side is generally older and neglected, and does not provide a unity with the environment, whereas on the south side, these elements on the street and square are relatively new, functional and environmentally compatible.Key words: urban furniture, historical environment, urban identity, Nicosia Old City

Analysis of the local communities focused around improving the quality of urban space on the example of activities in public spaces and cultural activities in Bytom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Widzisz-Pronobis ◽  
◽  
Grzegorz Pronobis ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Local Community ◽  
City Life ◽  
Social Activists ◽  
Good Investment ◽  
New Vision ◽  
Basic Ideas ◽  
The City

Bytom is a polish, post-industrial city which is looking for a new vision of the future. City dwellers are between a history related to coal and new challenges. It is not easy for them to understand that industry is a thing of the past and you need to look for yourself and your identity again. Groups of social leaders are trying to show a different picture of the city and engage more and more people to act for the city. Building the city's identity and new image are basic ideas. However, in the era of global discussion about climate change and the technologization of city life, it becomes important to become aware of the role of greenery and community. In the article I want to show how Bytom social activists promote and animate the local community in the spirit of collectivism and improving the quality of life in the city. The assumption of the described groups was the maximum involvement of residents in activities to improve the space in Bytom. In the article I want to show what tools they used and what effects they obtained. Particularly important here are activities that contribute to making the community aware of the role of greenery and pedestrian space. The effects of social activities show more clearly how important are strong communities opposing local authorities and supporting good investment decisions. Analysis of the activities of social groups showed how important local leaders play and how various methods and tools used by them gave measurable effects in the city space. The bottom-up activity helped to understand the advantages of a pedestrian city, which is Bytom, and to show how little it takes for the city to gain a new image.

scholarly journals Territorial and Temporal Factors of Urban Identity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ozerina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Place Of Birth ◽  
City Image ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
City Brand ◽  
Cognitive Component ◽  
Temporal Factors ◽  
Student’S T ◽  
The City

The formation of the urban identity of an individual resident and of the urban community as a whole is multi-determined. In socio-psychological research, perceptions of the main factors of its formation can be summarised through geographical, historical, spatial, individual-personal and socio-cultural characteristics. The objective of our study was to describe the role of territorial and temporal factors (place of birth and the duration of dwelling in a city) in the formation and manifestation of emotional, cognitive, motivational and behavioural parameters of the urban identity of residents. The City questionnaires and the Tomsk City Identity Questionnaire adapted by the authors were used to collect empirical data. The data was processed by means of a single-factor analysis of variance and the Student’s T-test. As a result, specific traits of city image formation in the vision of newcomer residents, and its indigenous residents were revealed, which confirms the relevance of the factors under study. It has been established that the image of the city and perceptions of its potential depend largely on the territorial and temporal indicators of the respondent’s residence in the urban space. Place of birth determines the cognitive component of urban identity to a greater extent, while the length of residence determines the emotional and motivational component. The findings allow the temporal and spatial context to be considered in the development of the city brand and the modernisation of urban space. Further researches are planned to include sample differentiation based on the place of birth by settlement type.

scholarly journals The Urban Identity of an Ural Metropolis in the Sociological Paradigm

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Grunt ◽  
◽  
Ludmila Russkikh ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Second Person ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Minor Significance ◽  
Questionnaire Method ◽  
The City

The article examines the urban identity of the inhabitants of the Ural metropolis. Today, urbanisation has reached an enormous scale and speed of development, and these processes cannot but have an impact on certain changes in human life. For people to live productively, there must be some common ground, something to unite them, something to hold them together. Urban identity is the inception of unity. The study is aimed at the analysis of what city dwellers think about the existence/absence of urban identity. The study was conducted in 2018 in Yekaterinburg, which is one of the largest metropolises in the Urals; for the purpose of the research, qualitative and quantitative strategies were applied. During the study, 345 Yekaterinburg residents were enquired via the combination questionnaire method (online survey, street interview). The sampling was random. Respondents were randomly sampled from city residents born in Yekaterinburg and having resided in the city for over 20 years. The study revealed that Yekaterinburg residents recognise the existence of urban identity in the metropolis. City residents attribute major significance to local identity (47.0 % of respondents). Its indicators are the residents’ engagement with the city, the urban space, knowledge of the city’s culture, and being born in or living in the metropolis for a long time. Territorial and national identities are of minor significance in the practice of integration into urban space. The survey found that every second person surveyed thinks that ideally one should be born and grow up in Yekaterinburg, passing through all the stages of socialisation, and if they were not born, then they should live in the city for at least 10 years to be a true resident of Yekaterinburg.

scholarly journals Cities of Mordovia: identity in media discourse

2020 ◽  
pp. 328-343
Author(s):  
Iraida A. Pakshina ◽  
◽  
Elena S. Rus’kina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Print Media ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
City Image ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
Internet Communities ◽  
The City

Nowadays, the city with its unique local and historical features is placed into the focus of the modern urban media. Media text verbalizes the results of a person’s subjective perception of the surrounding urban space and represents the identity of the city. The purpose of this article is to identify the representation of the «urban identity» concept in the media of the Republic of Mordovia — both in city and republican newspapers and social networks. The authors conducted content analysis of the articles published in city newspapers and the comments to the posts of local Internet communities regarding their ideas about the city. Analysis of the print media deduced that the municipal authorities realize the urgency of the urban identity formation under the competition for human, informational and economic resources. The editorial boards of newspapers do a lot to create a positive image of the city. Local urban Internet communities, which has recently appeared in the regional media space, have a powerful influence on public opinion. Their communication is built mainly around the private problems of everyday urban life and is accompanied by negative evaluation of those. It was established that active discussion of problems leads to active post-discussion, post-provocation, post-hype, post-photography, post – criticism of the authorities, post – dialogue with a representative of the authorities, post – question and post-game. There is an asymmetry in the representation of the city image created, on the one hand, by the print media, and, on the other hand, by the participants in the Internet communities. The study identified the markers that can be significant for the citizens. It also detected the dependence of the construction of the Mordovia’s cities identity and its representation and the communicative practices of the urban population.

scholarly journals HANOI

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Valentin
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
National Symbols ◽  
The Social ◽  
City History ◽  
Human Use ◽  
Historical Accounts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The article discusses the role that cities play in constructing and mediating particular historical accounts. Drawing on fieldwork experiences from Hanoi and Kathmandu it adopts a comparative perspective and explores how history is mediated, experienced and interpreted through the physical organisation of the city. History is conceptualised both chronologically as sequences of events that can be traced in the physical environment of the city and as a temporally specific narrative about the city and the wider society of which it is part. The article throws light on the impact different political regimes have had on the built environment and how this has informed the social organisation and human use of urban space in Hanoi. Comparing this with the social and physical organisation of Kathmandu two particular issues become salient, firstly the way in which the influence of foreign powers is physically manifest in the city; secondly how specific places, as national symbols of unity, frame everyday activities in the city.  

scholarly journals Urban Space and Gender Performativity in Knut Hamsun’s Hunger and Cora Sandel’s Alberta and Freedom

Humanities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Unni Langås
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Male Subject ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Gender Performativity ◽  
City Life ◽  
The World ◽  
Outer Appearance ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Material Conditions ◽  
The City

In this article, I discuss the combination of city life and gender performativity in two Norwegian classics, Knut Hamsun’s Hunger (2016) [Sult, 1890] and Cora Sandel’s Alberta and Freedom (1984) [Alberte og friheten, 1931]. These are modernist novels depicting lonely human subjects in an urban space, the first one featuring a man in Kristiania (now Oslo) in the 1880s, the second one a woman and her female acquaintances in Paris in the 1920s. I interpret and compare the two novels by focusing on their intertwined construction of gender performativity and urban space. Gender norms of the city life are critical premises for how the subjects manage to negotiate with different options and obstacles through their modern existences. To both protagonists, inferior femininity is a constant option and threat, but their responses and actions are different. The strategy of the male subject in Hunger is to fight his way up from humiliation by humiliating the female other; the strategy of the female subject in Alberta and Freedom is instead to seek solidarity with persons who have experiences similar to her own. Hamsun’s man and Sandel’s woman both perceive their own bodies as crucial to the interpretation of their physical surroundings. However, while the hero in Hunger must deal with a body falling apart and a confrontation with the world that depends on a totally fragmented bodily experience, the heroine in Alberta and Freedom instead sees herself as a body divided between outer appearance and inner inclinations. Both novels stage a person with writing proclivities in a city setting where the success or failure of artistic work is subjected to the mechanisms of a market economy. Their artistic ambitions are to a large extent decided by their material conditions, which seem to manipulate Hamsun’s hero out of the whole business, and Sandel’s heroine to stay calm and not give up. Yet the novels share the belief in the body’s basis as a denominator for the perception and interpretation of sensual and cognitive impressions of the world.

scholarly journals Reinventing the Refugee Camp as the City: Theoretical Considerations about Unaccompanied Minors

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (3 (181)) ◽  
pp. 253-265
Author(s):  
Łukasz Albański ◽  
Małgorzata Krywult-Albańska
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Political Community ◽  
Unaccompanied Minors ◽  
Child Rights ◽  
The City ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

The visible presence of migrant children (including unaccompanied minors) in current migratory flows manifestly requires some form of state attention in migrant destination states. In recent decades, the question of who is entitled to rights has become ever more discussed. At the same time, immigration regulations have tightened with increasing punitive measures taken against those labelled ‘undeserved and undocumented’. This paper seeks to connect a critical discussion of camp urbanization with the discourse on child rights within the context of the refugee camp space. Considering the urban not simply as a physical space, but also as a particular form of political community and the exercise of citizenship space, the paper explores the question: how does the reinvention of the camp as an urban space contribute to a new and better understanding of experiences and resources that unaccompanied minors arrive with? The article uses the analyses of the reference literature and provides an overview of some concepts to get a broader picture of spatial childhood within the camp. The conclusion is that children do not feature in the discussion of camp urbanization as individual subjects of concern. They are considered as possessions of adults. Moreover, they are trapped in a liminal situation of permanent temporariness. To spend one’s life in such a limbo of disenfranchised destitute has particularly devastating consequences for children.

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