Representational Structures as Stances: Examining Relationships to the City Under the Lens of Socio-Spatial Representations

Abstract

This paper puts spatial cognition to the test of the social representations paradigm, drawing on insights from the positional and structural approaches of representation, to complement existing findings on social groups pre-constructed on the basis of an approach focused on the social cognition of space. 1 We posit the hypothesis that different relationships to urban space and their underlying spatial representations relate to distinct social positions. To confirm this, we developed a quasi-experimental method based on a questionnaire inducing hierarchized mentions of places in Strasbourg, submitted to employees with different statuses in the same institution, the University of Strasbourg. Five spatial representations are identified using hierarchical agglomerative clustering and described in prototypical analyses. Relationships to urban space are also investigated using an analysis of the functional and/or evaluative dimensions of representations. The sociological characteristics associated with each type of representation support the general hypothesis of a structural homology between spatial representations and social positions. The structure of the representational content (places) of Strasbourg indeed varies according to the socio-occupational status, level of education and age of the agents of the University of Strasbourg. The relationship to space of members of the lower social classes is instrumental, whereas that of the most economically and culturally privileged is symbolic/aesthetic. The salient features of spatial representation and their functional and/or evaluative dimension are the cognitive components of a stance that inseparably relates to the individual's social position.

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“…For instance, the wealthiest individuals could choose routes that enable them to avoid seeing poverty or feeling unsafe (Atkinson, 2016). In France, social geographers and environmental psychologists have highlighted differing spatial practices and space representations among individuals according to their level of education (Dias & Ramadier, 2018), their gender (Di Méo, 2012), their age (Perchoux et al, 2014), or the built environment of their neighborhood (Raux et al, 2021). The relatively homogeneous socioeconomic and demographic profile of OSM contributors is, therefore, likely to restrict the areas they frequent and map.…”

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“…This brings us back to the definition of the socio-spatial representation proposed by Dias and Ramadier [26]: A representation is situated in a complex socio-cognitive process, actively constructed by the subject through the meanings conferred on the space, the goals of the subject, and the social rules used in this space. The various anchors can help us identify the gap that may exist between the ability of individuals to recognize the risk and the means of helping these individuals access the information that researchers seek to disseminate.…”

“…Thus, the representation is not the simple product of a mechanical processing of information. It is situated in a complex socio-cognitive process, actively constructed by the subject through the meanings conferred on the space, the goals of the subject, and the social rules used in this space [26]. It is individuals who give meaning to their environment [27], who read into this space experiences from their own personal history [28,29], as well as events found in their collective history [30].…”

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“…En effet, de même qu'il est maintenant notoire qu'une représentation cartographique dépend des enjeux sociaux qui lui sont associés (Harley, 1989), il en est de même pour les représentations spatiales. Leur élaboration repose sur la position sociale de celui ou de ceux qui l'érigent (Dias et Ramadier, 2015 ;2018). Comment se fait-il que les enjeux sociaux des représentations cartographiques sont maintenant largement reconnus alors que ceux des représentations spatiales peinent à l'être ?…”