The Socio-spatial Dialectic and Segregation in the Industrial and Apartheid City
There is a strong correlation between the social aspect of living and the spacial aspect of living, especially in urban areas and the modern city, as defined by (Pacione, 2005). These aspects have had a significant effect on world history, such as in the industrial city and the apartheid city.
The Socio-spatial Dialectic
The socio-spatial dialectic (Soja, 1980), describes the interaction between space and society. As shown in figure 1, an equilibrium of sorts is outlined, where any change in the society causes the opposite change in the space, they are therefore inversely proportional. There is a rather unclear definition of the socio-spatial dialectic, as (Soja, …show more content…
They do however differ in the reason for the segregation. The industrial city was segregated due to wealth, social and economic status, and class, while the apartheid city was segregated due to racial, ethnic, and linguistic prejudice (Christopher, 2001). It is important to note that besides all the scientific reasons for the segregation, there are also two important observable explanations. One is prejudice, and the other is selfishness. The upper class in the industrial city were comfortable and not living in squalor, while making lots of money, and so an air of selfishness and greed developed (Pacione, 2005). (Davies, 1981) refers to the Apartheid City model as having fair access to zones of industrialisation and the city’s centre to be able to proportionally and fairly distribute the residential areas according to each specific residential group. This also necessitates the acknowledgment of active patterns in the pre-existing spatial layout, as well as a poise between the affecting forces in the social arrangement of the pre-established society (Davies, …show more content…
Reference List
Christopher, A., 1989. Spatial Variations in the Application of Residential Segregation in South African Cities. Geoforum, 20(3), pp. 253-267.
Christopher, A., 2001. The Atlas of Changing South Africa.
Daniels, P., Bradshaw, M., Shaw, D. & Sidaway, J., 2008. An Introduction To Human Geography: Issues for the 21st Century. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Davies, R., 1981. The Spatial Formation of the South African City. GeoJournal, Issue 2, pp. 59-72.
Irvine, P., 2012. Post-apartheid Racial Integration in Grahamstown: A Time-geographical Perspective.
Pacione, M., 2005. Urban Geography - A Global Perspective. Second Edition ed. New York: Routledge.
Soja, E. W., 1980. The Socio-Spatial Dialectic. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 70(2), pp. 207-225.
Swanson, M. W., 1977. The Sanitation Syndrome: Bubonic Plague and Urban Native Policy in the Cape Colony, 1900-1909. The Journal of African History, 18(3), pp. 387-410.
Williams, J. J., 2000. South Africa: Urban Transformation. Cities, 17(3), pp.
There is a strong correlation between the social aspect of living and the spacial aspect of living, especially in urban areas and the modern city, as defined by (Pacione, 2005). These aspects have had a significant effect on world history, such as in the industrial city and the apartheid city.
The Socio-spatial Dialectic
The socio-spatial dialectic (Soja, 1980), describes the interaction between space and society. As shown in figure 1, an equilibrium of sorts is outlined, where any change in the society causes the opposite change in the space, they are therefore inversely proportional. There is a rather unclear definition of the socio-spatial dialectic, as (Soja, …show more content…
They do however differ in the reason for the segregation. The industrial city was segregated due to wealth, social and economic status, and class, while the apartheid city was segregated due to racial, ethnic, and linguistic prejudice (Christopher, 2001). It is important to note that besides all the scientific reasons for the segregation, there are also two important observable explanations. One is prejudice, and the other is selfishness. The upper class in the industrial city were comfortable and not living in squalor, while making lots of money, and so an air of selfishness and greed developed (Pacione, 2005). (Davies, 1981) refers to the Apartheid City model as having fair access to zones of industrialisation and the city’s centre to be able to proportionally and fairly distribute the residential areas according to each specific residential group. This also necessitates the acknowledgment of active patterns in the pre-existing spatial layout, as well as a poise between the affecting forces in the social arrangement of the pre-established society (Davies, …show more content…
Reference List
Christopher, A., 1989. Spatial Variations in the Application of Residential Segregation in South African Cities. Geoforum, 20(3), pp. 253-267.
Christopher, A., 2001. The Atlas of Changing South Africa.
Daniels, P., Bradshaw, M., Shaw, D. & Sidaway, J., 2008. An Introduction To Human Geography: Issues for the 21st Century. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Davies, R., 1981. The Spatial Formation of the South African City. GeoJournal, Issue 2, pp. 59-72.
Irvine, P., 2012. Post-apartheid Racial Integration in Grahamstown: A Time-geographical Perspective.
Pacione, M., 2005. Urban Geography - A Global Perspective. Second Edition ed. New York: Routledge.
Soja, E. W., 1980. The Socio-Spatial Dialectic. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 70(2), pp. 207-225.
Swanson, M. W., 1977. The Sanitation Syndrome: Bubonic Plague and Urban Native Policy in the Cape Colony, 1900-1909. The Journal of African History, 18(3), pp. 387-410.
Williams, J. J., 2000. South Africa: Urban Transformation. Cities, 17(3), pp.