Non-Place (part 1)

[stilldancer]

I spent Tuesday doing "participant" observation in the Brussels public transport system.

Comments

[dharmagrrrl]

please explain "controlled zones of non-communication"

[stilldancer]

i supposed what i should have said was "controlled zones, with a lack of communication," or at least according to Auge. He's talking about places full of directions, rules and signs of what to do and not do. Airports are a non-place par-excellence, you enter through a ritual (showing passports, tickets, etc.) and then travel a zone where everything is regulated. the lack of communication seems to be a side effect, people basically turning off their initiative and following all the signs and instructions from the load-speakers.

It's all generalization of course, but the implication is that we are creating more and more of these places in society, where there is little face to face communication and more solitary interaction with machines (ATMs, vending machines) or people in roles of authority. interesting idea, now i have to critique it.

[dharmagrrrl]

ah, I see. not a control against communication, but a side product due to lack of connection with the objects or people interacted with in that controlled area. now ... in this context is communication limited to direct contact with another person, or would talking on a cell phone, sending an SMS, reading a book or newspaper, or communicating telepathically with someone not in the zone count as communication while in the zone? most people in airports are reading, writing, traveling through the internet, chatting on a phone, or watching the tv hanging from the ceiling. you could argue that these are ways of going inside the self ... but if you break it all down language itself, even when spoken, is still a tool to communicate from within the self.

very interesting that machines substituting for humans could be equivalent to authority figures ...

[stilldancer]

excellent point there.... i was thinking of phone and sms as communication, but not necessary the books and newspapers. i guess i had only considered DIRECT communication between two persons, not more indirect forms that aren't bound by time immediately.

this makes me think...

[kalimotxo]

Yeah. Good stuff. Good photo.

How long did you lurk in the subterrain?

[stilldancer]

thanks mate...

i was in the metro for about 4 hours, but i had to take a break in the middle. trying to keep myself in the same space as the travellers, while observing them as well, really started to depress me and wear me out. one rush our hit it was a bit mad, and i got plenty of strange looks for standing around taking photos while everyone was rushing home from work...

[dharmagrrrl]

I wonder if it would have been more or less depressing had you been fluent in french/dutch

[kalimotxo]

I was wondering the same thing. Although one thing I always took solace in using transit in Brussels was being able to turn inside with my thoughts. More peaceful, than using it here in Minnesota or in Seville/Malaga/Madrid.