Theories of sociospatial polarisation
Polarisation
The concentration of the rich and the poor in a city is nothing new and there has been rising and falling attention to it, depending on the changing circumstances. So there have been concerns over polarization for around 150 years. A common definition of the term does not exist. It is dangerous that if the term is not defined within a context, it will lose its descriptive and explanatory power. In the opinion of Hamnett the key element of social polarization is “a movement toward the poles of a given distribution”. It can be a state or a process, but the term is commonly used to describe a process. Hamnett insists that polarization is not a synonym for inequality, as inequality can take many different forms and because there can be greater inequality without greater polarization and backwards. He also does not equal polarisation and the increasing residential segregation by class, race, gender, etc. There is a metaphor for the term polarization, explained by Marcuse. The population is normally distributed like the form of an egg. If it becomes polarized, the middle becomes thinner and its ends expand till it looks like an hourglass. So the middle can be seen as the “intermediate social strata” within the process of social polarization. It can also be taking place on many dimensions at the same time.
Urban Restructuring, Social – Political Polarization and new urban policies
Economic restructuring and globalization have radically reshaped cities and urban regions. They have to deal with the consequences of socio- economic dislocation brought about by the reorganization of production and demand globally, including increasing polarisation and social exclusion. This has led to fundamental change of policy- aims, political organisations and institutions and influence in decision- making. The goal of today’s urban politics is, to promote economic growth and competitiveness instead of being a regulatory and redistributive organ. Over the last decade, the involvement of private actors in the urban policies has been steadily increasing to accomplish flexibility, efficiency and competitiveness. As a result, the emerging governance system is fragmented, exclusive and losing democratic character. However, it is argued, that the path to prosperity and an equal society in Global Cities, are large- scale urban development projects. In reality, case studies have shown, that the outcome of such actions is even increasing polarisation especially in spatial dimensions. Elite networks and major exclusion mechanisms for already weak groups, are the result.
Urban Development Projects
Focus of the study: on large-scale urban redevelopment projects with a predominantly business-oriented urban renewal and city marketing logic
In order to measure the effect of global-local mechanism UDPs are examined on various stages:
Social Integration and Exclusion mechanisms: job creation and destruction for less skilled workers, for skilled and highly skilled workers., on a sectoral level, housing displacement, income generation and purchasing power, erosion of democraic decision-making, fragmentation of urban identities, money and investment flows.
Conclusion: This study identified categories that are directly related to urban subsystems which are influenced by UDPs: labour/real estate/financial markets, polit.institutions.,...
These subsystems have a direct influence on economic, political, social,…processes
Main research question: How and to what extent do UDPs increase or decrease the polarization and exclusion/integration of various social groups in the city?
Sources:
Bridge, Gary/Watson, Sophie (2000). City Differences. In: Gary Bridge/Sophie Watson (eds.):A Companion to the City. Oxford: Blackwell. 251 – 260.
Hamnett, Chris (2000). Gentrification, Postindustrialism, and Industrial an Occupational Restructuring in Global Cities. In: Gary Bridge/Sophie Watson (eds.): A Companion to the City. Oxford: Blackwell. 331 – 341.
Hamnett, Chris (2001): Social Segregation and Social Polarization. In: Ronan Paddison (ed): Handbook of Urban Studies. London: SAGE.
Moulaert, Frank/Swyngedouw, Erik/Rodriguez, Arantxa (eds., 2003): The Blobalized City. Economic restructuring and social polarization in European Cities. Oxford: Oxford University Press: Chapter 2 and 3.
The concentration of the rich and the poor in a city is nothing new and there has been rising and falling attention to it, depending on the changing circumstances. So there have been concerns over polarization for around 150 years. A common definition of the term does not exist. It is dangerous that if the term is not defined within a context, it will lose its descriptive and explanatory power. In the opinion of Hamnett the key element of social polarization is “a movement toward the poles of a given distribution”. It can be a state or a process, but the term is commonly used to describe a process. Hamnett insists that polarization is not a synonym for inequality, as inequality can take many different forms and because there can be greater inequality without greater polarization and backwards. He also does not equal polarisation and the increasing residential segregation by class, race, gender, etc. There is a metaphor for the term polarization, explained by Marcuse. The population is normally distributed like the form of an egg. If it becomes polarized, the middle becomes thinner and its ends expand till it looks like an hourglass. So the middle can be seen as the “intermediate social strata” within the process of social polarization. It can also be taking place on many dimensions at the same time.
Urban Restructuring, Social – Political Polarization and new urban policies
Economic restructuring and globalization have radically reshaped cities and urban regions. They have to deal with the consequences of socio- economic dislocation brought about by the reorganization of production and demand globally, including increasing polarisation and social exclusion. This has led to fundamental change of policy- aims, political organisations and institutions and influence in decision- making. The goal of today’s urban politics is, to promote economic growth and competitiveness instead of being a regulatory and redistributive organ. Over the last decade, the involvement of private actors in the urban policies has been steadily increasing to accomplish flexibility, efficiency and competitiveness. As a result, the emerging governance system is fragmented, exclusive and losing democratic character. However, it is argued, that the path to prosperity and an equal society in Global Cities, are large- scale urban development projects. In reality, case studies have shown, that the outcome of such actions is even increasing polarisation especially in spatial dimensions. Elite networks and major exclusion mechanisms for already weak groups, are the result.
Urban Development Projects
Focus of the study: on large-scale urban redevelopment projects with a predominantly business-oriented urban renewal and city marketing logic
In order to measure the effect of global-local mechanism UDPs are examined on various stages:
Social Integration and Exclusion mechanisms: job creation and destruction for less skilled workers, for skilled and highly skilled workers., on a sectoral level, housing displacement, income generation and purchasing power, erosion of democraic decision-making, fragmentation of urban identities, money and investment flows.
Conclusion: This study identified categories that are directly related to urban subsystems which are influenced by UDPs: labour/real estate/financial markets, polit.institutions.,...
These subsystems have a direct influence on economic, political, social,…processes
Main research question: How and to what extent do UDPs increase or decrease the polarization and exclusion/integration of various social groups in the city?
Sources:
Bridge, Gary/Watson, Sophie (2000). City Differences. In: Gary Bridge/Sophie Watson (eds.):A Companion to the City. Oxford: Blackwell. 251 – 260.
Hamnett, Chris (2000). Gentrification, Postindustrialism, and Industrial an Occupational Restructuring in Global Cities. In: Gary Bridge/Sophie Watson (eds.): A Companion to the City. Oxford: Blackwell. 331 – 341.
Hamnett, Chris (2001): Social Segregation and Social Polarization. In: Ronan Paddison (ed): Handbook of Urban Studies. London: SAGE.
Moulaert, Frank/Swyngedouw, Erik/Rodriguez, Arantxa (eds., 2003): The Blobalized City. Economic restructuring and social polarization in European Cities. Oxford: Oxford University Press: Chapter 2 and 3.
Pesendorfer Lisa Katharina - 29. Mär, 09:53
Questions to discuss
In the text it says that polarisation "can be a state or a process, but the term is commonly used to describe a process." Do you think that polarisation occurs in the place where you are living? Can you give examples (both of polarisation as a "state" and as a "process")? Can you recall any observations? Do you think that you yourself are affected by polarisation?