Places on the Margin: Alternative Geographies of Modernity(International Library of Sociology)

Space and spatial practice has emerged as one of the key themes in the literature on modernity and postmodernity. Yet few attempts have been made to survey the theoretical terrain of space and modernity. Fewer still have endeavoured to apply this material in the form of concrete analysis. Places on the Margin attempts to correct the balance in three ways. First, it demonstrates the mutual relevance of sociology and geography. Second, it outlines a social theory of spatiality which focuses on the role of the spatial in making up culture. Third, it offers four detailed and penetrating case studies of the role of space in supporting social activities: Brighton and its place image of the Dirty Weekend and the beach riots of Mods and Rockers in the 1960s; the cultural meaning of Niagara Falls; the North-South Divide' in Britain and its role in national myths of British identity; and the Canadian spatialisation of the Far North as the True North Strong and Free' - a zone of purity and otherness where the distinctions upon which civilization is based break down.

Table of Contents:
Part One: Introduction, Places on the Margin, 1. Margin and Periphery, 2. Early Approaches: A Review in the Form of Critique 3. Synopsis: Chapter One: Alternative Geographies of Modernity, 1. Social Spatialisation, i. Bourdieu's Habitus , ii. Foucault, 2. The Social Construction of the Spatial, iii. Realist Visions, iv. Lefebvre, 3. Social Spatialisations and the `Sense of Place': Part Two: Chapter Two: Ritual Pleasures of a Seaside Resort, Chapter Three: Niagara Falls: Honeymoon Capital of the World, Chapter Four: The True North Strong and Free, Chapter Five: The North-South Divide in England: Part Three: Chapter Six: Synthesis and Implications, Bibliography

Review :
`This groundbreaking study will interest those committed to keeping abreast of current social theory. The case studies are good too!' - Choice `Rob Shields' coverage of the theoretical debates is right up to date and the four case studies provide a fascinating application and illumination of the issues which he is addressing.' - Peter Saunders, Sussex University `Shields offers us an imaginative critique of the existing literature, a vast bibliography, and four beautifully crafted case studies which begin at last to explore empirically that most difficult of theoretical terrains, the reciprocal relations between the social and the spatial.' - Environment and Planning `What separates Shield's work from much of the other recent work in this field is exactly what he aimed to achieve - its emphasis on the importance of space in the development and formation of perceptions, myths and collective representations.' - Urban Studies