Di Masso, A., Dixon, J., & Pol, E.
APA
Di Masso, A., Dixon, J., & Pol, E. (2011). On the contested nature of place: ‘Figuera’s Well’, ‘The Hole of Shame’ and the ideological struggle over public space in Barcelona. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31, 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.05.002
Keywords
Barcelona
,
Contestation
,
Ideology
,
Place Meanings
,
Public Space
,
Rhetoric
Abstract
This paper explores some of the discursive practices through which the place meanings are formulated, warranted and, above all, contested. Drawing particularly on the work of the social psychologist Michael Billig, we present a rhetorical analysis of newspaper reports and interview accounts about the ‘development’ of a contested public space in Barcelona, known locally both as Figuera’s Well and the Hole of Shame. This analysis explores a number of rhetorically opposed constructions of the nature, purpose and appropriate beneficiaries of this place, whose implications are discussed both within the context of local power struggles and within the context of wider ideological struggles over the nature of public spaces in Barcelona. We argue that a rhetorical perspective reveals how practices of attributing meaning and value to places are often more conflict-ridden, action-oriented, and politically-charged than is implied by much research in environmental psychology. Relatedly, we argue that environmental psychologists need to complement a ‘weak’ conception of the role of conflict in the formation of public space (focused on subjective differences in environmental tastes, preferences and values) with a ‘strong’ conception of the role of conflict (focused on ideological struggles over access, equality and inclusion).
Main finding
What can be revealed by analyzing the ways a place is described in media (i.e., examining competing "rhetorical construction" of a place)? This study shows how a media coverage of a contested public space in Barcelona, Spain (known both as "Figuera's Well" and the "Hole of Shame") reveals the nature of conflict over public space and provides a window into analyzing the underlying dynamics of political inequality. The author argues that such competing rhetorical constructions of place (e.g., a "green zone" as opposed to an "empty lot") are designed to promote and minimize various aspects of such competing images, and as such the author recommends studying such narratives as pathway to valuable insights.
Description of method used in the article
Rhetorical analysis of 186 media reports between 1999 and 2008, as well as 16 interviews (30-120 minutes) with stakeholders associated with a conflict in the neighborhood of Santa Caterina in the Ciutat district of Barcelona, Spain. The conflict surrounded the redevelopment into public space of an area previously demolished by the city. Rhetorical analysis and discursive psychology methods are used identify the (a) identity of of the place, (b) categories of people who use the space, and (c) broader meanings of public space, as communicated in the media and interviews.
Verdict
Of some practical use if combined with other research