4 research outputs found
Development Of Suburbs In The Context Of Post- Socialist Consumption Models : The Case Of Pierīga
Get PDFTransition from socialism to capitalism in Eastern and Central Europe has been characterized as the most courageous experiment with neo-liberal ideas in the contemporary world. Neo-liberalism as the process, it has been argued, had to be domesticated not only by political elites, but also by individuals, families and communities (Creed, 1998). Having a closer look at post-socialist home life the term ānormalā stands for a life standard which is extraordinary in the local context and is likened to an āaverage level of Westā and is being realized in the sphere of housing development and body care (FehĆ©rvĆ”ry 2002). A private house in a suburb is perceived as signifying the middle-class consumption standard in the West, and also in postsocialist societies middle-income strata are aspiring to affirm their status by Western consumer symbols. In the course of last decade, a considerable number of middle-class-in-the-making families in Latvia made decisions to apply for mortgages in order to acquire a āhouse of their dreamsā in a suburb. The paper intends to examine how the families have managed to fulfil their hopes for a ānormal lifeā in a comfortable suburban house. In Latvia it is, first of all, PierÄ«ga, the suburban zone surrounding the capital city of Riga that corresponds to the concept of suburb as developed in the classical theories of urban space. An active property development in PierÄ«ga began at the turn of the new millennium when the real estate market was booming. Most municipalities envisaged an unprecedented rise in number of real property and hurried to plan the development of their territories accordingly. The outcome was dozens of widely scattered real property clusters, built with no overarching communal development plan and with none or underdeveloped infrastructure. A folk term for such type of settlement was soon coined, pļavu ciemi (āthe meadow villagesā). A private house in a post-socialist suburb like PierÄ«ga at times reminds a heterotopia ā a space contrasting to the surrounding area. This process is not an illusion but a compensation (Foucault 1986), that has been made possible by Latviansā capacity, developed in socialist times, to disregard (to a certain degree) the surrounding social world. The paper is based on study that seeks to integrate quantitative and qualitative methods. A recent population survey (SKDS, 2009) reveals that suburb is a desirable living place, even though suburb residents lack a sense of affiliation with it. The survey data suggest that, while being only partly satisfied with the infrastructure and the development of their territory, the suburbanites seldom interact with the local government and are unwilling to take part in the activities of the local community. Semi-structured interviews with owners of new private houses in PierÄ«ga, in turn, reveal that having purchased a suburban family house, few owners have fulfilled their aspirations for a ānormal lifeā. A heavy burden of debt weighs upon all interviewees. In such a situation, families have had to modify their life-style and habits Anxiety about their long-term capability to deal with mortgages accompanies all interviewed families. The intrevieweesā narratives highlight the neo-liberal developments in the private sphere, the family life, as well as the public sphere, the suburban social environment.publishersversionPeer reviewe
PostsociÄlistiska patÄriÅa prakse piepilsÄtas vidÄ: vÄlmju par jaunu privÄtmÄju PierÄ«gÄ Ä«stenojums. Promocijas darba kopsavilkums
No full textThe present of the Doctoral Thesis has been worked out at: RÄ«ga StradiÅÅ” University. Defence: on September 26, 2014 at 10.00 at an open meeting of Doctoral Council of Sociology of RÄ«ga StradiÅÅ” University (RSU), 16 Dzirciema Street, RÄ«ga, at the Hippocrates Lecture Theatre.The Doctoral thesis deals with post-socialist consumption practices, implementing the dream of a private house in suburban milieu. The basic problem of the research topic is rather the emotional than knowledge- and experience-based performance, frequently common in daily consumption practices, and its relation with specific, neo-liberalism features in economics, social area and environmental development, characteristic to post-socialism. The objective of the research has been defined according to the specifics of the problem and the main issues to be studied ā how post-socialist consumption practices develop, implementing the desire for a new private house in suburb, and what factors affect this practice. Research interest has been aimed at actions, emotions, āthingsā and skills of PierÄ«ga residents, involved in social and consumption practices, implementing their dream of a new private house. The sense and teleoemotional character of consumption practice turn out analyzing the theories which reveal variety of theoretical approaches of practice and consumer culture. The theoretical substantiation of the Doctoral thesis is comprised by application of practice theory in sociologic view at consumption studies. General theoretical approach to practice suggests studies in several dimensions. In the Doctoral thesis, qualitative data and its analysis have been added by quantitative study results. In the research, qualitative study methods were applied, therefore for data acquisition semi-structured interviews were used, participant observation was performed and photos, characterizing the environment and the new private houses, were obtained and analysed in qualitative study. Analysis of qualitative data is based on grounded theory approach. Analysis and interpretation of all empirical data is based on mixed study methods. The research data substantiates the main conclusion of the Doctoral thesis that the motivation of private house consumption practices, formed within the borderline between the past and present, is a combination of post-socialist normality understanding and memories about parentsā and grandparentsā houses.The Doctoral Thesis has been worked out with the financial support of the European Social Fund ā project āSupport for Doctorate Students in Study Programme Acquisition and Obtaining of the PhD Degree at RÄ«ga StradiÅÅ” Universityā
Practices of Postsocialist Consumption in Suburban Milieu: Desire for a New Suburban House in Pierīga and Its Fulfilment. Doctoral Thesis
No full textPromocijas darbs izstrÄdÄts: RÄ«gas StradiÅa universitÄtes SocioloÄ£ijas un psiholoÄ£ijas katedrÄ laika posmÄ no 2008. gada lÄ«dz 2014. gadam. AizstÄvÄÅ”ana: 2014. gada 26. septembrÄ« plkst.10.00 RÄ«gas StradiÅa universitÄtes SocioloÄ£ijas promocijas padomes atklÄtÄ sÄdÄ RÄ«gÄ, Dzirciema ielÄ 16, HipokrÄta auditorijÄ.Promocijas darbÄ pÄtÄ«tas postsociÄlistiska patÄriÅa prakses, kas realizÄtas, Ä«stenojot sapni par privÄtmÄju piepilsÄtas vidÄ. PÄtnieciskÄs tÄmas pamatproblÄma ir ikdienas dzÄ«ves patÄriÅa prakÅ”u Ä«stenojumÄ nereti sastopamais emocionÄlais aspekts, kura ietekmÄ indivÄ«di bieži nerespektÄ zinÄÅ”anas un pieredzi. PÄtÄ«jumÄ analizÄta arÄ« ikdienas dzÄ«ves patÄriÅa prakÅ”u saistÄ«ba ar Ä«paÅ”Äm, postsociÄlismam raksturÄ«gÄm neoliberÄlisma iezÄ«mÄm ekonomikÄ, sociÄlajÄ sfÄrÄ un vides attÄ«stÄ«bÄ. PÄtÄ«juma mÄrÄ·is formulÄts atbilstoÅ”i problÄmas specifikai un galvenajam pÄtÄmajam jautÄjumam ā kÄ veidojas postsociÄlistiska patÄriÅa prakses un dzÄ«vesveids, Ä«stenojot vÄlmi pÄc jaunas privÄtmÄjas piepilsÄtÄ, un kÄdi faktori praksi ietekmÄ. PÄtnieciskÄ interese vÄrsta uz sociÄlÄs un patÄriÅa praksÄs iesaistÄ«to PierÄ«gas iedzÄ«votÄju darbÄ«bÄm, emocijÄm, lietÄm un prasmÄm, Ä«stenojot sapni par jaunu privÄtmÄju. PatÄriÅa prakses jÄga un teleoemocionÄls raksturs atklÄjas, analizÄjot teorijas, kas atspoguļo prakses un patÄrÄtÄju kultÅ«ras teorÄtisko pieeju daudzveidÄ«bu. Promocijas darba teorÄtisko pamatojumu veido prakses teorijas pieeja patÄriÅa pÄtniecÄ«bas socioloÄ£iskam skatÄ«jumam. VispÄrÄja prakses teorÄtiskÄ pieeja ierosina pÄtÄ«t vairÄkas dimensijas. PÄtÄ«jumÄ pielietotas kvalitatÄ«vÄs izpÄtes metodes, tÄdÄļ datu ieguvÄ lietotas daļÄji strukturÄtÄs intervijas, veikts novÄrojums un iegÅ«tas vidi un jaunÄs savrupmÄjas raksturojoÅ”as fotogrÄfijas, kuras arÄ« analizÄtas kvalitatÄ«vÄs pÄtniecÄ«bas pieejas ietvaros. KvalitatÄ«vo datu analÄ«ze balstÄ«ta uz pamatoto teoriju. Promocijas darba pÄtÄ«jumÄ kvalitatÄ«vÄ datu ieguve un analÄ«ze papildinÄta ar kvantitatÄ«va pÄtÄ«juma rezultÄtiem. Visu empÄ«risko datu analÄ«ze un interpretÄcija balstÄ«ta jaukto pÄtniecÄ«bas metožu pieejÄ. PÄtÄ«juma dati pamato galveno promocijas darba secinÄjumu, ka privÄtmÄjas patÄriÅa prakÅ”u motivÄcija, kas veidojusies robežsituÄcijÄ starp pagÄtni un tagadni, ir postsociÄlistiskas normalitÄtes izpratnes un atmiÅu par vecÄku un vecvecÄku mÄjÄm savijums.Promocijas darbs veikts ar Eiropas sociÄlÄ fonda projekta āAtbalsts doktorantiem studiju programmas apguvei un zinÄtniskÄ grÄda ieguvei RÄ«gas StradiÅa universitÄtÄā finansiÄlu atbalstu
Practices of Postsocialist Consumption in Suburban Milieu: Desire for a New Suburban House in Pierīga and Its Fulfilment. Summary of the Doctoral Thesis
No full textPromocijas darbs izstrÄdÄts: RÄ«gas StradiÅa universitÄtes SocioloÄ£ijas un psiholoÄ£ijas katedrÄ laika posmÄ no 2008. gada lÄ«dz 2014. gadam. AizstÄvÄÅ”ana: 2014. gada 26. septembrÄ« plkst.10.00 RÄ«gas StradiÅa universitÄtes SocioloÄ£ijas promocijas padomes atklÄtÄ sÄdÄ RÄ«gÄ, Dzirciema ielÄ 16, HipokrÄta auditorijÄ.Promocijas darbÄ pÄtÄ«tas postsociÄlistiska patÄriÅa prakses, kas realizÄtas, Ä«stenojot sapni par privÄtmÄju piepilsÄtas vidÄ. PÄtnieciskÄs tÄmas pamatproblÄma ir ikdienas dzÄ«ves patÄriÅa prakÅ”u Ä«stenojumÄ nereti sastopamais emocionÄlais aspekts, kura ietekmÄ indivÄ«di bieži nerespektÄ zinÄÅ”anas un pieredzi. PÄtÄ«jumÄ analizÄta arÄ« ikdienas dzÄ«ves patÄriÅa prakÅ”u saistÄ«ba ar Ä«paÅ”Äm, postsociÄlismam raksturÄ«gÄm neoliberÄlisma iezÄ«mÄm ekonomikÄ, sociÄlajÄ sfÄrÄ un vides attÄ«stÄ«bÄ. PÄtÄ«juma mÄrÄ·is formulÄts atbilstoÅ”i problÄmas specifikai un galvenajam pÄtÄmajam jautÄjumam ā kÄ veidojas postsociÄlistiska patÄriÅa prakses un dzÄ«vesveids, Ä«stenojot vÄlmi pÄc jaunas privÄtmÄjas piepilsÄtÄ, un kÄdi faktori praksi ietekmÄ. PÄtnieciskÄ interese vÄrsta uz sociÄlÄs un patÄriÅa praksÄs iesaistÄ«to PierÄ«gas iedzÄ«votÄju darbÄ«bÄm, emocijÄm, lietÄm un prasmÄm, Ä«stenojot sapni par jaunu privÄtmÄju. PatÄriÅa prakses jÄga un teleoemocionÄls raksturs atklÄjas, analizÄjot teorijas, kas atspoguļo prakses un patÄrÄtÄju kultÅ«ras teorÄtisko pieeju daudzveidÄ«bu. Promocijas darba teorÄtisko pamatojumu veido prakses teorijas pieeja patÄriÅa pÄtniecÄ«bas socioloÄ£iskam skatÄ«jumam. VispÄrÄja prakses teorÄtiskÄ pieeja ierosina pÄtÄ«t vairÄkas dimensijas. PÄtÄ«jumÄ pielietotas kvalitatÄ«vÄs izpÄtes metodes, tÄdÄļ datu ieguvÄ lietotas daļÄji strukturÄtÄs intervijas, veikts novÄrojums un iegÅ«tas vidi un jaunÄs savrupmÄjas raksturojoÅ”as fotogrÄfijas, kuras arÄ« analizÄtas kvalitatÄ«vÄs pÄtniecÄ«bas pieejas ietvaros. KvalitatÄ«vo datu analÄ«ze balstÄ«ta uz pamatoto teoriju. Promocijas darba pÄtÄ«jumÄ kvalitatÄ«vÄ datu ieguve un analÄ«ze papildinÄta ar kvantitatÄ«va pÄtÄ«juma rezultÄtiem. Visu empÄ«risko datu analÄ«ze un interpretÄcija balstÄ«ta jaukto pÄtniecÄ«bas metožu pieejÄ. PÄtÄ«juma dati pamato galveno promocijas darba secinÄjumu, ka privÄtmÄjas patÄriÅa prakÅ”u motivÄcija, kas veidojusies robežsituÄcijÄ starp pagÄtni un tagadni, ir postsociÄlistiskas normalitÄtes izpratnes un atmiÅu par vecÄku un vecvecÄku mÄjÄm savijums.Promocijas darbs veikts ar Eiropas sociÄlÄ fonda projekta āAtbalsts doktorantiem studiju programmas apguvei un zinÄtniskÄ grÄda ieguvei RÄ«gas StradiÅa universitÄtÄā finansiÄlu atbalstu
