Caroline Newton
TU Delft, Architecture and the Built Environment, Faculty Member
- KU Leuven, LUCA School of Arts / Faculty of Architecture, Faculty MemberUniversity College London, Development Planning Unit, Faculty Memberadd
- Sustainable Urbanism, Cultural Theory, Development, Critical Theory, Pierre Bourdieu, Spatial Practices, and 20 moreHomelessness And Housing Exclusion, South African Politics and Society, Feminism, Language and Power, Gender Studies, New Models Of Democracy, Democracy and Cyber-Democracy Theory and Practice, Knowledge and Power, Public Participation In Governance, Human Geography, Social Geography, Urban Geography, Urban Anthropology, Geography, Buddhist Studies, Poststructuralist Anarchism, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, Anarchist Architecture, and Tactical Urbanismedit
- I am an architect, urban planner and political scientist and completed my PhD in social geography at the K.U. Leuven ... moreI am an architect, urban planner and political scientist and completed my PhD in social geography at the K.U. Leuven (Belgium). My work and research focuses on the socio spatial dimensions of design and critical spatial practices in Europe and the Global South. My research interests are centered on the interrelation between societal processes and the built environment.
Having a very broad interest I have worked on informal dwelling and participatory upgrading, the challenge of design and planning in post colonial environments and also on the methodological and pedagogical challenges of a 'designerly way of knowledge production'. Additionally I have been working and writing on integrating real and virtual words and their role for architecture and architectural education.
I am a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Housing and the Built Environment (http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/population+studies/journal/10901).
Research Interest
The core of my research interests is the intertwinement of the notions freedom, public sphere, city and architecture and a certain notion of democracy. As such I am currently focusing on how mechanisms of power work on different scales and within distinct spatial settings, or using Foucault’s (1980, p. 149) statement: “a whole history remain to be written of spaces – which would at the same time be the history of powers (both these terms in the plural) – from the great strategies of geopolitics to the little tactics of the habit, institutional architecture from the classroom to the design of hospitals, passing via economic and political installations”.
Within this setting the role of the architect/planner/designer is being put under scrutiny. More than ever cities are more than built up space and morphological composition. They reflect the strong intertwinement of space and people, they are about lived realities, as, using the words of de Certeau, the city has truly become a “practiced place” (1984: 117). Working within a normative framework whereby the search for the just city and the right to the city are central, my research stresses the opportunities a designerly way of knowledge production holds to address some of the challenges urban design in development is confronted with.
Design has its own ways of knowledge production, thinking and acting (Cross, 2001). A designerly way of knowing is able to reinterpret existing “problems”, or more broadly “questions”, and to develop solutions that have been unthought-of before. Our societies need creative/artistic research, not only because it is part of our humanistic heritage, but also because it helps to achieve, to realise, a high-quality human (humanistic) culture, which is only possible if we develop ideas/concepts/solutions that are not merely grounded in the current conditions and problems but that go beyond this, as such a Utopian attitude(1) is needed.
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(1) not to be understood in the modernist’s sense, but Utopian as Bloch’s (1995 (1938–1947), p. 13) “experienced Not-Yet-Experience in every experience that has previously become”.
Bloch, Ernst (1995 (1938–1947)), The Principle of Hope. Cambridge, Massachusetts: the MIT Press.
Cross, N. (2001) Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design Discipline Versus Design Science. In: Design Issues 17(3): 49-55.
Foucault, M. (1980). The Eye of Power. Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings 1972-1977 by Michel Foucault. C. Gordon. New York, Pantheon Books: 146-165.edit
D it boek heeft een grote ambitie. Het wil de maatschappelijke meerwaarde van stedenbouwkundige projecten doen toenemen. Veel ruimtelijke planners en stedenbouwkundigen willen dat ook, en kunnen er inspiratie uit putten. Maar tegelijk... more
D it boek heeft een grote ambitie. Het wil de maatschappelijke meerwaarde van stedenbouwkundige projecten doen toenemen. Veel ruimtelijke planners en stedenbouwkundigen willen dat ook, en kunnen er inspiratie uit putten. Maar tegelijk richt dit boek zich tot professionals actief in de 'sociale sector': opbouwwerkers, buurtwerkers, jeugdwerkers, buurtregisseurs, veiligheidscoördinatoren…. Allen worstelen ze wel eens met de gedachte dat de bebouwde ruimte hun opdracht zou kunnen ondersteunen–maar dat ...
This publication draws from first-hand experience, research, and critical practices that have sought to investigate a 175 hectares swatch of land in the middle of Mumbai that is home to over 1 million inhabitants. It is a collection of... more
This publication draws from first-hand experience, research, and critical practices that have sought to investigate a 175 hectares swatch of land in the middle of Mumbai that is home to over 1 million inhabitants. It is a collection of short and long essays, drawings and diagrams, pictures and photo-montages, video stills and visualisations on what is known as Dharavi.
If on one side Dharavi was what some would call a ‘live’ case study, on the other it was more than that. Dharavi was a place where our different epistemic words of what we called urban design started falling apart. It was also a complex microcosm of practices where our methodological and architectural artillery became somewhat ineffective and sterile. It was a symbol of a multiplicity of urbanisms at play that failed all our philosophical apparatus. Dharavi for us was essentially a space in which we started our process of recalibration of Urban Design - an intellectual, pedagogical and political process at the centre of the MSc Building and Urban Design in Development course at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit.
If on one side Dharavi was what some would call a ‘live’ case study, on the other it was more than that. Dharavi was a place where our different epistemic words of what we called urban design started falling apart. It was also a complex microcosm of practices where our methodological and architectural artillery became somewhat ineffective and sterile. It was a symbol of a multiplicity of urbanisms at play that failed all our philosophical apparatus. Dharavi for us was essentially a space in which we started our process of recalibration of Urban Design - an intellectual, pedagogical and political process at the centre of the MSc Building and Urban Design in Development course at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit.
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Sinds het begin van het nieuwe millenium is stadsontwikkeling steeds vaker synoniem voor stedenbouw. Daarmee stijgen de verwachtingen van stedenbouw. Van de grote bouwwerven in onze steden wordt nu ook steevast een belangrijke... more
Sinds het begin van het nieuwe millenium is stadsontwikkeling steeds vaker synoniem voor stedenbouw. Daarmee stijgen de verwachtingen van stedenbouw. Van de grote bouwwerven in onze steden wordt nu ook steevast een belangrijke maatschappelijke meerwaarde geëist.
Deze publicatie gaat in op de praktische en procedurele uitdagingen die hiermee gepaard gaan. Als eerste Nederlandstalige handboek voor ‘sociaal-ruimtelijke planning’ wil dit boek architecten en stedenbouwkundigen wapenen voor de nieuwe sociale opdracht die ze krijgen. Tegelijk richt dit boek zich tot professionals actief in de ‘sociale sector’: opbouwwerkers, buurtwerkers, jeugdwerkers, buurtregisseurs, integrale veiligheidscoördinatoren…. De auteurs gaan er vanuit dat de stedenbouw van de toekomst nog sterker interdisciplinair zal moeten zijn dan vandaag. Willen stedenbouwkundige projecten een maatschappelijke meerwaarde realiseren, zal de samenwerking met deze sociale professionals moeten worden versterkt. Met dit boek willen de auteurs beide groepen helpen om samen te werken, om zo meer te halen uit stedenbouwkundige projecten: stenen, maar voor mensen.
De tekst biedt een overzicht van de meest actuele wetenschappelijke kennis over de interactie tussen bebouwde omgeving en sociale praktijken en processen als ontmoeten, veiligheid, sociale cohesie. Op basis van een langlopende samenwerking met de cel sociale planning van de Stad Antwerpen werd bovendien een methodiek ontwikkeld voor sociaal-ruimtelijke planning. Aan de hand van concrete praktijkvoorbeelden wordt uitgelegd hoe op verschillende momenten van het ruimtelijk planningsproces de samenwerking tussen sociale en stedenbouwkundige professionals kan worden verbeterd en hoe de kennis van sociale professionals gevaloriseerd kan worden in betere, meer sociale stedenbouwkundige projecten.
Deze publicatie gaat in op de praktische en procedurele uitdagingen die hiermee gepaard gaan. Als eerste Nederlandstalige handboek voor ‘sociaal-ruimtelijke planning’ wil dit boek architecten en stedenbouwkundigen wapenen voor de nieuwe sociale opdracht die ze krijgen. Tegelijk richt dit boek zich tot professionals actief in de ‘sociale sector’: opbouwwerkers, buurtwerkers, jeugdwerkers, buurtregisseurs, integrale veiligheidscoördinatoren…. De auteurs gaan er vanuit dat de stedenbouw van de toekomst nog sterker interdisciplinair zal moeten zijn dan vandaag. Willen stedenbouwkundige projecten een maatschappelijke meerwaarde realiseren, zal de samenwerking met deze sociale professionals moeten worden versterkt. Met dit boek willen de auteurs beide groepen helpen om samen te werken, om zo meer te halen uit stedenbouwkundige projecten: stenen, maar voor mensen.
De tekst biedt een overzicht van de meest actuele wetenschappelijke kennis over de interactie tussen bebouwde omgeving en sociale praktijken en processen als ontmoeten, veiligheid, sociale cohesie. Op basis van een langlopende samenwerking met de cel sociale planning van de Stad Antwerpen werd bovendien een methodiek ontwikkeld voor sociaal-ruimtelijke planning. Aan de hand van concrete praktijkvoorbeelden wordt uitgelegd hoe op verschillende momenten van het ruimtelijk planningsproces de samenwerking tussen sociale en stedenbouwkundige professionals kan worden verbeterd en hoe de kennis van sociale professionals gevaloriseerd kan worden in betere, meer sociale stedenbouwkundige projecten.
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The book Contested Urbanism in Dharavi : Writings and projects for the resilient city highlights field research and studio-based projects on Dharavi, Mumbai conducted with DPU students from 2009 to 2012. The collection of essays,... more
The book Contested Urbanism in Dharavi : Writings and projects for the resilient city highlights field research and studio-based projects on Dharavi, Mumbai conducted with DPU students from 2009 to 2012. The collection of essays, photography, and student work illustrates both the theoretical underpinnings and pedagogical ethos of the MSc Building and Urban Design in Development.
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The capitalistic growth of the City of Cape Town, more specifically its expansion to the north, foreshadows the absorption of Bellville and its surroundings, including the Campus of the University of the Western Cape, consequently putting... more
The capitalistic growth of the City of Cape Town, more specifically its expansion to the north, foreshadows the absorption of Bellville and its surroundings, including the Campus of the University of the Western Cape, consequently putting the University in the centre of the new Cape Town metropole. Despite of apartheid’s fierce oppression, cultural and social life flourished in this previously peripheral areas and the University was one of the leaders in the historical changes the nation went through. They actively engaged themselves in working together with, as well as within, the local communities, thus building an accessible and more just higher education centre. The aim of this contribution is to explore theoretical concepts that are of importance if the university wants to uphold his role as an urban anchor, an active linchpin able to guide the ambitious redevelopment the area will undergo. As such not only preserving the important historical meaning of the University but also ...
This article describes the TU Delft's 2020 experiences during the pandemic in teaching and learning urban design and planning for (post-)Covid-19 times. The article presents the view why, that and how the themes of spatial resilience... more
This article describes the TU Delft's 2020 experiences during the pandemic in teaching and learning urban design and planning for (post-)Covid-19 times. The article presents the view why, that and how the themes of spatial resilience and governance resilience should be emphasized in urbanism curriculums. Additionally, it discusses the value of creating well-organized and empathetic online design studios as an inspiring learning environment for both student and teacher.
Research Interests: Engineering and Sociology
Sustainable urban (planning) experiments play a crucial role in transitions and are tangible ways to contribute to innovation and change in the long run. This paper discusses how urban experiments contribute to sustainability transitions... more
Sustainable urban (planning) experiments play a crucial role in transitions and are tangible ways to contribute to innovation and change in the long run. This paper discusses how urban experiments contribute to sustainability transitions by explicitly looking at an urban experiment’s capability to influence the regime level. The consequences of spatial inertia and political actors’ involvement are two understudied aspects concerning urban experiments. The paper aims to introduce these two understudied aspects and suggests further research on both in current urban experimentation practices. First, the paper suggests spatial embeddedness as a relevant explanatory factor. Experiments that alter spatial structures or realize physical interventions on a neighborhood scale can anchor innovations in space. In doing so, they increase their sustainability in the long run. Secondly, the article contributes to the literature on institutions and politics in urban experiments. The article uses a...
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"In this essay I start from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and briefly answer the question in what way possible worlds contribute to the way people are trying to understand the world... more
"In this essay I start from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and briefly answer the question in what way possible worlds contribute to the way people are trying to understand the world in order to make decisions in a given situation. Additionally the concept of path dependency is introduced. Path dependency is often used in economics and the social sciences, but it proves especially useful when studying housing policies and spatial practices. If Stalnaker’s possible worlds are “The ways things could have been”, maybe path dependency is about “the way things can no longer be (because of..)”. The aim of this essay is to rethink the path dependency approach in housing studies, using the insights from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and consequently to put together a more complete framework of this approach in the study of housing policies and spatial planning. In order to do this I will first explore the concept of possible worlds, and the way it is used by Stalnaker. In a second part Stalnaker’s motivation for using possible worlds is discussed, then the concept of path dependency is introduced in a third section. A fourth section illustrates how combining both approaches can provide a clearer understanding by briefly examining housing policies in Flanders. Finally the concluding section brings everything together and formulates some final remarks. "
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... On the contrary, within the Socialist movement, the advocates of the mentioned models were a minority (see eg De Caigny, 2007). Note that, although the Christian Workers Movement (ACW Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond - the... more
... On the contrary, within the Socialist movement, the advocates of the mentioned models were a minority (see eg De Caigny, 2007). Note that, although the Christian Workers Movement (ACW Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond - the largest social movement in the ...
"""Over the last two decades the study of the social and the spatial transitions in South Africa has drawn numerous researchers and postgraduate students from all over the world. Based on our experiences as Belgian doctoral students doing... more
"""Over the last two decades the study of the social and the spatial transitions in South Africa has drawn numerous researchers and postgraduate students from all over the world. Based on our experiences as Belgian doctoral students doing fieldwork in South Africa, we discuss some of the challenges that confront early career human geographers from abroad when conducting research in South Africa. We concentrate on the unequal relations between researchers from the North and research participants from the South.
In this article, we reflect, specifically, upon the potentials and difficulties of establishing a 'space of betweenness' between researchers from the North and the researched from the South. To do so, we first sketch feminist theories that describe the research process in terms of a relation or a dialogue. By confronting these theories with our own research experiences as doctoral students in Cape Town, we aim to contribute to a postcolonial methodology in two critical ways.
First, we show that the betweenness of the research process has often been limited to the research encounter itself, whereas it is also necessary to think about the relation between researchers and research participants beforehand and afterwards. To develop a postcolonial research methodology it is essential, indeed, to rethink how we come to our research questions and how to engage with the research results. As a second point, we will demonstrate that a relational understanding of the research process has different implications in critical scholarship on the powerless as well as the powerful. Even though both types of studies can reveal processes and forces of oppression, they entail a different ethical stance regarding the role of the researched in the research process."""
In this article, we reflect, specifically, upon the potentials and difficulties of establishing a 'space of betweenness' between researchers from the North and the researched from the South. To do so, we first sketch feminist theories that describe the research process in terms of a relation or a dialogue. By confronting these theories with our own research experiences as doctoral students in Cape Town, we aim to contribute to a postcolonial methodology in two critical ways.
First, we show that the betweenness of the research process has often been limited to the research encounter itself, whereas it is also necessary to think about the relation between researchers and research participants beforehand and afterwards. To develop a postcolonial research methodology it is essential, indeed, to rethink how we come to our research questions and how to engage with the research results. As a second point, we will demonstrate that a relational understanding of the research process has different implications in critical scholarship on the powerless as well as the powerful. Even though both types of studies can reveal processes and forces of oppression, they entail a different ethical stance regarding the role of the researched in the research process."""
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Over the last two decades the study of the social and the spatial transitions in South Africa has drawn numerous researchers and postgraduate students from all over the world. Based on our experiences as Belgian doctoral students doing... more
Over the last two decades the study of the social and the spatial transitions in South Africa has drawn numerous researchers and postgraduate students from all over the world. Based on our experiences as Belgian doctoral students doing fieldwork in South Africa, we discuss some of the challenges that confront early career human geographers from abroad when conducting research in South Africa. We concentrate on the unequal relations between researchers from the North and research participants from the South.
In this article, we reflect, specifically, upon the potentials and difficulties of establishing a 'space of betweenness' between researchers from the North and the researched from the South. To do so, we first sketch feminist theories that describe the research process in terms of a relation or a dialogue. By confronting these theories with our own research experiences as doctoral students in Cape Town, we aim to contribute to a postcolonial methodology in two critical ways.
First, we show that the betweenness of the research process has often been limited to the research encounter itself, whereas it is also necessary to think about the relation between researchers and research participants beforehand and afterwards. To develop a postcolonial research methodology it is essential, indeed, to rethink how we come to our research questions and how to engage with the research results. As a second point, we will demonstrate that a relational understanding of the research process has different implications in critical scholarship on the powerless as well as the powerful. Even though both types of studies can reveal processes and forces of oppression, they entail a different ethical stance regarding the role of the researched in the research process.
In this article, we reflect, specifically, upon the potentials and difficulties of establishing a 'space of betweenness' between researchers from the North and the researched from the South. To do so, we first sketch feminist theories that describe the research process in terms of a relation or a dialogue. By confronting these theories with our own research experiences as doctoral students in Cape Town, we aim to contribute to a postcolonial methodology in two critical ways.
First, we show that the betweenness of the research process has often been limited to the research encounter itself, whereas it is also necessary to think about the relation between researchers and research participants beforehand and afterwards. To develop a postcolonial research methodology it is essential, indeed, to rethink how we come to our research questions and how to engage with the research results. As a second point, we will demonstrate that a relational understanding of the research process has different implications in critical scholarship on the powerless as well as the powerful. Even though both types of studies can reveal processes and forces of oppression, they entail a different ethical stance regarding the role of the researched in the research process.
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More than twenty years after the repeal of the Group Areas Act, South Africa is facing a number of challenges with regards to housing, spatial planning and urban development. Government institutions, scholars, NGO's and local communities... more
More than twenty years after the repeal of the Group Areas Act, South Africa is facing a number of challenges with regards to housing, spatial planning and urban development. Government institutions, scholars, NGO's and local communities have been looking for innovative ways to improve the housing conditions of all South Africans. With this special issue, we aim to demonstrate that international insights cannot only be relevant to understand and enrich South African cases, but that an in-depth analysis of the South African experiments can also be meaningful for academic analyses and political decisions in other parts of the world. In order to stimulate such a cross-fertilization, this article will briefly summarize the current situation in South Africa in the public housing sector, the private housing sector and the self-help approach. We will also introduce the eight papers of this special issue.
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This paper introduces the PHP (People’s Housing Process) approach to housing provision in South-Africa as a noteworthy third way that allows housing provision for the urban poor. In this contribution we will illustrate how, in an assisted... more
This paper introduces the PHP (People’s Housing Process) approach to housing provision in South-Africa as a noteworthy third way that allows housing provision for the urban poor. In this contribution we will illustrate how, in an assisted approach of self-help housing, the government can play an important role in safeguarding the production of homes rather than merely providing dwellings. In doing so taking into account the more intangible and symbolic meaning of the house and home, which we argue are a central factor for a sustainable housing strategy.
This assisted self-help housing scheme was approved in 1998 and was inspired by the work of homeless people’s federation (SAHPF) and saving and housing schemes from around the globe. The further development of the scheme has been a challenging process but we argue that the PHP programme deserves more attention as a housing provision mechanism. Additionally, one of the strengths of the PHP approach is its applicability in a wider area of project types, from township upgrading to hostel redevelopment projects, and illustrated in this contribution by introducing the hostel redevelopment poject Ilinge Labahlali in Cape Town.
In what follows, the PHP approach is introduced, and the increasing interest of the government illustrated. Then, using two case studies, the importance of the assistance of government and NGOs is elaborated upon. In conclusion the challenges that still need to be met are highlighted.
This assisted self-help housing scheme was approved in 1998 and was inspired by the work of homeless people’s federation (SAHPF) and saving and housing schemes from around the globe. The further development of the scheme has been a challenging process but we argue that the PHP programme deserves more attention as a housing provision mechanism. Additionally, one of the strengths of the PHP approach is its applicability in a wider area of project types, from township upgrading to hostel redevelopment projects, and illustrated in this contribution by introducing the hostel redevelopment poject Ilinge Labahlali in Cape Town.
In what follows, the PHP approach is introduced, and the increasing interest of the government illustrated. Then, using two case studies, the importance of the assistance of government and NGOs is elaborated upon. In conclusion the challenges that still need to be met are highlighted.
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This paper aims to show the reverse side of the (football) medal. The N2 gateway project in Cape Town is presented, by government and media, as a ‘flagship’ project of the new Breaking New Ground strategy, to fight the housing backlog of... more
This paper aims to show the reverse side of the (football) medal. The N2 gateway project in Cape Town is presented, by government and media, as a ‘flagship’ project of the new Breaking New Ground strategy, to fight the housing backlog of 400,000 houses in the city. But I want to argue that the fast-tracking of the project has to be understood as a beautification strategy to prepare the city for 2010. Massive slum eradication and the construction of ‘beautiful formal housing opportunities’ between the airport and the mother city are becoming a painful reminder of the forced removals under the apartheid regime.
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Immediately after WW2 numerous large-scale housing estates began to spring up. More often than not they consisted of high-rises. Merely 50 years later a great number of these developments are in the process of demolition or are seriously... more
Immediately after WW2 numerous large-scale housing estates began to spring up. More often than not they consisted of high-rises. Merely 50 years later a great number of these developments are in the process of demolition or are seriously undergoing restructuring. The Modernistic thoughts, inspired by the CIAM (Congres International d’Architecture Moderne) movement and Le Corbusier seem to have lost the appeal they once held. In this contribution we look into this evolution and more specifically, we focus on the misinterpretation of the importance of the (symbolic) meaning of housing by the Modernist movement. A misjudgment, that eventually resulted in the speedy dismantling of these estates.
ABSTRACT During the 1990s, a small group of women constructed 148 houses near the townships of Gugulethu and Nyanga in Cape Town. The small neighbourhood became the flagship project of the South African Homeless People's... more
ABSTRACT During the 1990s, a small group of women constructed 148 houses near the townships of Gugulethu and Nyanga in Cape Town. The small neighbourhood became the flagship project of the South African Homeless People's Federation (SAHPF), and the government used the insights of these women to develop their People's Housing Process (PHP) housing framework. In this contribution, their story is told, and in explaining why these women were so successful, we use the theoretical concepts of Pierre Bourdieu and pay specific attention to the changed meaning of power. The paper argues that the coinciding of a “vacuum” in the planning field, the transition in South Africa to a democratic state and the personal motivation of the women of Victoria Mxenge created a momentum that enabled them to influence governmental policies on a national scale.
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UCL logo UCL Discovery. ...
In this contribution I will explore how the democratic value of our political sphere can be regained, building on the knowledge that all of us are invested with a democratic engagement in this political realm. To achieve this I will... more
In this contribution I will explore how the democratic value of our political sphere can be regained, building on the knowledge that all of us are invested with a democratic engagement in this political realm.
To achieve this I will explore key concepts of which their importance was already clear from the beginning of our democratic history, thus going back to the Greek polis. But in a first section I want to sketch the current situation and explore the possible current bankruptcy of our democratic establishment and bring to the fore some issues that increasingly seem to put our democratic values under pressure.
Then, in a second section I introduce the first concept, the notion of citizenship, and look at the sort(s) of citizenship we are currently experiencing. In a third section I focus on the concept of the agon as I believe it opens up some opportunities to rethink the notion of citizenship in our current pluralist and divers societies. This will finally enable me to draw some concluding remarks and elaborate on the difficulties of our representational democracy.
To achieve this I will explore key concepts of which their importance was already clear from the beginning of our democratic history, thus going back to the Greek polis. But in a first section I want to sketch the current situation and explore the possible current bankruptcy of our democratic establishment and bring to the fore some issues that increasingly seem to put our democratic values under pressure.
Then, in a second section I introduce the first concept, the notion of citizenship, and look at the sort(s) of citizenship we are currently experiencing. In a third section I focus on the concept of the agon as I believe it opens up some opportunities to rethink the notion of citizenship in our current pluralist and divers societies. This will finally enable me to draw some concluding remarks and elaborate on the difficulties of our representational democracy.
In this essay I start from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and briefly answer the question in what way possible worlds contribute to the way people are trying to understand the world in order to make decisions in a given situation.... more
In this essay I start from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and briefly answer the question in what way possible worlds contribute to the way people are trying to understand the world in order to make decisions in a given situation.
Additionally the concept of path dependency is introduced. Path dependency is often used in economics and the social sciences, but it proves especially useful when studying housing policies and spatial practices.
If Stalnaker’s possible worlds are “The ways things could have been”, maybe path dependency is about “the way things can no longer be (because of..)”.
The aim of this essay is to rethink the path dependency approach in housing studies, using the insights from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and consequently to put together a more complete framework of this approach in the study of housing policies and spatial planning.
In order to do this I will first explore the concept of possible worlds, and the way it is used by Stalnaker. In a second part Stalnaker’s motivation for using possible worlds is discussed, then the concept of path dependency is introduced in a third section. A fourth section illustrates how combining both approaches can provide a clearer understanding by briefly examining housing policies in Flanders.
Finally the concluding section brings everything together and formulates some final remarks.
Additionally the concept of path dependency is introduced. Path dependency is often used in economics and the social sciences, but it proves especially useful when studying housing policies and spatial practices.
If Stalnaker’s possible worlds are “The ways things could have been”, maybe path dependency is about “the way things can no longer be (because of..)”.
The aim of this essay is to rethink the path dependency approach in housing studies, using the insights from Stalnaker’s possible worlds concept and consequently to put together a more complete framework of this approach in the study of housing policies and spatial planning.
In order to do this I will first explore the concept of possible worlds, and the way it is used by Stalnaker. In a second part Stalnaker’s motivation for using possible worlds is discussed, then the concept of path dependency is introduced in a third section. A fourth section illustrates how combining both approaches can provide a clearer understanding by briefly examining housing policies in Flanders.
Finally the concluding section brings everything together and formulates some final remarks.
Research Interests:
The capitalistic growth of the City of Cape Town, more specifically its expansion to the north, foreshadows the absorption of Bellville and its surroundings, including the Campus of the Uni-versity of the Western Cape, consequently... more
The capitalistic growth of the City of Cape Town, more specifically its expansion to the north, foreshadows the absorption of Bellville and its surroundings, including the Campus of the Uni-versity of the Western Cape, consequently putting the University in the centre of the new Cape Town metropole. Despite of apartheid’s fierce oppression, cultural and social life flourished in this previously peripheral areas and the University was one of the leaders in the historical changes the nation went through. They actively engaged themselves in working together with, as well as within, the local communities, thus building an accessible and more just higher educa-tion centre. The aim of this contribution is to explore theoretical concepts that are of import-ance if the university wants to uphold his role as an urban anchor, an active linchpin able to guide the ambitious redevelopment the area will undergo. As such not only preserving the im-portant historical meaning of the University but also safeguarding the identities of the histori-cally deprived communities which surround it.
In most of Third World cities there is an overwhelming presence of NGOs. A great number of these work with Western funding and thus donors often have a Western (biased) perspective on the NGOs activities and methodology. Because of the... more
In most of Third World cities there is an overwhelming presence of NGOs. A great number of these work with Western funding and thus donors often have a Western (biased) perspective on the NGOs activities and methodology. Because of the differences in context some of the choices made or methods applied might come as a surprise to donors, who then question the output and work of the NGO. It is precisely in this field that more (academic) research might provide a better understanding of the choices and methods of NGOs. Working on the basis of PhD research done from 2003 to 2007 and follow up research until today this contribution wants to illustrate how comparative (housing) research can contribute to a better understanding of and support for the NGOs activities by Western donors.
To achieve this aim the contribution starts from an analysis of several neighbourhoods within the townships of Cape Town, South Africa, where an Irish NGO was actively involved in housing provision. After contextualising the casestudies the paper shows in which way comparative housing research can be more than just an accumulation of knowledge and how it can make a contribution to the validation of the choices and methodologies of NGOs, eg. the choice to work with women’s networks regarding housing provision. The paper concludes with raising some concerns about the difficult integration of the findings of academic research in the functioning of the NGOs.
To achieve this aim the contribution starts from an analysis of several neighbourhoods within the townships of Cape Town, South Africa, where an Irish NGO was actively involved in housing provision. After contextualising the casestudies the paper shows in which way comparative housing research can be more than just an accumulation of knowledge and how it can make a contribution to the validation of the choices and methodologies of NGOs, eg. the choice to work with women’s networks regarding housing provision. The paper concludes with raising some concerns about the difficult integration of the findings of academic research in the functioning of the NGOs.
‘To live somewhere’ carries meaning on a number of different levels, from that of the every-day life to the broader societal context. A main body of academic work has developed around this topic. As such the aim of this paper is not to... more
‘To live somewhere’ carries meaning on a number of different levels, from that of the every-day life to the broader societal context. A main body of academic work has developed around this topic. As such the aim of this paper is not to review all this
theory but to address the issue from a gender perspective and to add the notions of (motherly) care and ideal-type ‘homing’ to the already complex and consequently to illustrate its consequences on the political scale.
To achieve this aim a first section shortly reviews the existing theoretical work, specifically stressing the importance of feminine and motherly values. Consequently the first notion referred to above, namely motherly care, can be addressed. Before we can discuss the second notion, that of ideal-type ‘homing’ it seems necessary to bring the empirical work (done over a period of four years in several township around Cape
Town) into the debate. Subsequently, understanding is established on how the entanglement of the notions of care (projected onto women), home-ownership and ideal-type thinking, enforces a dominant societal discourse, which only legitimises the existing power structures of a given society.
To conclude we might ask ourselves if (self)normalisation through the object of the home removes every means of questioning dominant societal or governmental discourses?
Keywords:
ideal-type thinking, theory, gender, house, home, feminism, normalisation, Foucault, South-Africa, Cape Town.
theory but to address the issue from a gender perspective and to add the notions of (motherly) care and ideal-type ‘homing’ to the already complex and consequently to illustrate its consequences on the political scale.
To achieve this aim a first section shortly reviews the existing theoretical work, specifically stressing the importance of feminine and motherly values. Consequently the first notion referred to above, namely motherly care, can be addressed. Before we can discuss the second notion, that of ideal-type ‘homing’ it seems necessary to bring the empirical work (done over a period of four years in several township around Cape
Town) into the debate. Subsequently, understanding is established on how the entanglement of the notions of care (projected onto women), home-ownership and ideal-type thinking, enforces a dominant societal discourse, which only legitimises the existing power structures of a given society.
To conclude we might ask ourselves if (self)normalisation through the object of the home removes every means of questioning dominant societal or governmental discourses?
Keywords:
ideal-type thinking, theory, gender, house, home, feminism, normalisation, Foucault, South-Africa, Cape Town.
Within the social sciences there has always been a tendency to divide ideas, concepts and thinkers in a binary manner. As such positivism is placed against symbolic interactionism, naturalism against anti-naturalism and so on. The... more
Within the social sciences there has always been a tendency to divide ideas, concepts and thinkers in a binary manner. As such positivism is placed against symbolic interactionism, naturalism against anti-naturalism and so on. The positivistic approaches study the world as if it is confined within general laws, although this might be useful for analysis, it is not representing the complexities of the real world.
Since Malinowski’s study of Trobriand society, ethnographic studies have become more differentiated and methods for data gathering , other than participant observation, have ‘emerged’. Methodologies are borrowed from phenomenology to feminism and postmodernism. The reflections made in postmodern and critical ethnography are relevant for the study of power structures and their impact on every day life.
In this paper I will illustrate the impact of Foucauldian and Bourdieuan thinking for my own research. Using my own work in several deprived neighbourhoods in Cape Town I will show how studying the every day life of people can help to understand the underlying power structures of a given society, and more importantly, how the structure-agency dichotomy in the social sciences can be overcome.
Keywords: Foucault, Bourdieu, methodology, structure-agency debate
Since Malinowski’s study of Trobriand society, ethnographic studies have become more differentiated and methods for data gathering , other than participant observation, have ‘emerged’. Methodologies are borrowed from phenomenology to feminism and postmodernism. The reflections made in postmodern and critical ethnography are relevant for the study of power structures and their impact on every day life.
In this paper I will illustrate the impact of Foucauldian and Bourdieuan thinking for my own research. Using my own work in several deprived neighbourhoods in Cape Town I will show how studying the every day life of people can help to understand the underlying power structures of a given society, and more importantly, how the structure-agency dichotomy in the social sciences can be overcome.
Keywords: Foucault, Bourdieu, methodology, structure-agency debate