Foundations of a sociology of space—summary

pp. 225-233

in: Martina Löw, The sociology of space, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016

Abstract

This chapter offers an outline of the core principles of Löw's sociology of space. Special attention is paid to the fact that spatial structures as well as temporal structures are forms of social structure. Spaces generate distributions which, in a hierarchically organized society, are generally unequal distributions or distributions that favor different groups of people. Atmospheres are the external effectuality of social goods and people in their spatial arrangement as realized in perception. Due to atmospheres, people feel at home or strange in spatial arrangements. Atmospheres obscure the practice of placement.