Mobility, Space and Social Structuration in the Second Modernity and Beyond
Title:
Mobility, Space and Social Structuration in the Second Modernity and Beyond
Author:
Nowicka, Magdalena
Appeared in:
Mobilities
Paging:
Volume 1 (2006) nr. 3 pages 411-435
Year:
2006-11-01
Contents:
The recent social structuration theories speak about liquefaction. However, these liquid models fail to deliver satisfactory explanation of contemporary sociation; the thesis of this article is that this is due to insufficient reflection on space-time. Three points are to be discussed: the questionable distinction between social and geographical space, which these models use to diagnose current patterns of social structuration as resulting from new time-space experience; the certainty of periodization, which privileges time over space; and the persistence of a 'container' understanding of space. It is necessary to work out a better understanding of the current time-space relations on the one hand, and to develop a method to grasp conceptually the meta-change on the other. The second can be achieved with the help of the theory of reflexive modernization. This theory, however, does not offer much insight into the exact time-space relations, thus the first postulate requires further empirical research. This article, based on a study of mobile transnational professionals, attempts to fulfill both postulates and to work out its own theoretical frameworks for researching mobility, spatialization and social structuration.
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