A2 Unit 3: Spaces and Places
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A2 Unit 3: Spaces and Places |
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Sites of Culture Spaces and Places Critical Social Theory (Marxism, neo-Marxism, Hegemony Theory) Ideology |
This topic is concerned with 'the constructed environment', i.e. any environment whose meanings have been constructed in a cultural context, for example buildings, parks, town squares, alley ways in fact any space or building which has a cultural meaning and is used by different groups of people, in different ways, for different reasons. For example, a town square may be used by young people for skate-boarding, by old people for reading the paper and meeting friends, by couples for romantic assignations etc. Sample Exam Question It has been argued that places and spaces ‘speak’ to us in ways which reinforce our cultural identity. Drawing on contrasting examples, critically evaluate this view of places and spaces. What makes a place identifiable, familiar or unfamiliar? Look at these five photographs of different cities in the world. Can you identify the cities? How did you do this? Have you been to these cities? Is there anything distinctive about the buildings? The surroundings to the buildings - water, grass, cars etc?
Look at these buildings - can you guess their purpose? Can you guess where in the world they might be located?
How do we feel about different kinds of spaces? Read this Guardian article by Annalisa Barbieri about the psychology of homes - Woolworths - how the shops have changed over the years, architecturally and culturally Reality or Hyperreality? Look at the photos below? Which photos represent genuine locations? Which photos use references to other places and media? Which theoretical perspective would be interested in this idea?
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