Social Space (H. Lefebvre)

"(Social) space is not a thing among other things, nor a product among other products: rather it subsumes things produced, and encompasses their interrelationships in their coexistence and simultaneity - their (relative) order and/or (relative) disorder. It is the outcome of a sequence and set of operations, and thus cannot be reduced to the rank of a simple object. At the same time there is nothing imagined, unreal or 'ideal' about it as compared, for example, with science, representations, ideas or dreams. Itself, the outcome of past actions, social space is what permits fresh actions to occur, while suggesting others and prohibiting yet others. Among these actions, some serve production, others consumptions (i.e. the enjoyment of the fruits of production). Social space implies a great diversity of knowledge. [...]

A social space cannot be adequately accounted for wither by natures (climate, site) or by its previous history. Nor does the growth of the forces of production give rise in any direct causal fashion to a particular space or a particular time. Mediations, and mediators, have to be taken into consideration: the action of groups, factors within knowledge, within ideology, or within the domain of representations. Social space contains a great diversity of objects, both natural and social, including the networks and pathways which facilitate the exchange of material things and information. Such 'objects' are thus not only things but also relations. As objects, they possess discernible peculiarities, contour and form. Social labour transforms them, rearranging their positions within spatio-temporal configurations without necessarily affecting their materiality, their natural state (as in the case, for instance, of a island, gulf, river or mountain). [...]

We are confronted not by one social space but by many - indeed, by an unlimited multiplicity or uncountable set of social spaces which we refer to generically as 'social space'. No space disappears in the course of growth and development: the worldwide does not abolish the local. This is not a consequence of the law of uneven development, but a law in its own right. The intertwinement of social spaces is also a law. Considered in isolation, such spaces are mere abstractions. As concrete abstractions, however, they attain 'real' existence by virtue of networks and pathways, by virtue of bunches or clusters of relationships. Instances of this are the worldwide networks of communication, exchange and information. It is important to note that such newly developed networks do not eradicate from their social context those earlier ones, superimposed upon one another over the years, which constitute the various markets: local, regional, national and international markets; the market in commodities, the money or capital market, the labour market, and the market in works, symbols and signs; and lastly - the most recently created - the market in spaces themselves. [...] The corresponding buildings, in the towns, bear material testimony to this evolution. This social space, and especially urban space, emerged in all its diversity - and with a structure far more reminiscent of flaky mille feuille pastry tan of the homogeneous and isotropic space of classical (Eucliden/Cartesian) mathematics."

Lefebvre, Henri (2000 [1974]) The Production of Space. Oxford: Blackwell. pp 73-86.

Favela Culture Makes the City (J. Barbosa)

"Favelas are fruitful places for the creation of culture. Samba, capoeira, and choro are dances and music that have defined Rio’s aesthetic. Funk, hip-hop, break dancing and forró represent the experiences of the people living in favelas. Graffiti, photography and video have re-written what it means to belong to this city.

Favelas make culture flourish in Rio de Janeiro. In their alleys, narrow roads and small squares happen the interactions that weave an extensive fabric of sociability, religion and humanity. It’s the mix of art and life that transforms everyday hope into culture.

rioonwatch.org

It is for this reason, and many others, that favelas are territories of experimentation with simplicities and challenges. From afar we don’t identify monumental cultural facilities. There are no grand buildings, nor do favelas illustrate the city’s landscape. But as we approach them, a plurality of inventions and practices that give meaning to human existence gain prominence. [...]

Culture is patrimony inherited through the material and physical world. But it is also the awareness of ourselves. A sense of belonging to something that belongs to us: a territory. A virtual dwelling that allows us to express ourselves in various ways and meanings. It is by way of its territory that culture carries the possibility of its appropriation as a concept and its visibility as a social practice. Can we live in the city sharing experiences across different social groups? The favela invites you to visit: drop by anytime.

Culture is to live in an unfinished work of art, mainly because cultural creation is an act of symbolic exchange, corporeal and material, amongst human beings. In this way we build bonds and interpret our presence in society. However, culture allows us to examine our position, our place, our existence. Culture is embedded in our practices and social conduct. Hence the political centrality of culture to build a transformative project for the contemporary city."

Read the complete article in Portuguese and English.

Barbosa, Jorge (2012) "Cultura da Favela é Cidade". In: Observatório de favelas. August 8th, 2012.