The relation of infrastructures and rurality

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Eva Barlösius
• Subject Area: Sociological Theory
• Term: from 2013 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 236451363

The understanding of infrastructures is becoming increasingly blurred. Originally they were defined by technical buildings and industrial structures, then social and cultural features were added. Rules and regulations (e.g. laws and social norms) became the next central point of reference and currently the functions of infrastructures (e.g. education, mobility) are the defining criteria. The increasing inclusion of social traits and functions of infrastructures can be shown by looking at the changes of the definition and use of the term. Furthermore, it clarifies that infrastructures inhibit a specific understanding of socialness (community and communality) which is facilitated and enforced by infrastructures.The proposed research project shall explore the aspect of socialness of infrastructures using the example of (German) villages. We want to differentiate between the material and social structural qualities of villages on one hand, and on the other hand the quality of community and communality of villages which are considered typical for villages.Central research questions are: Which understanding of community and communality are inhibited in rural, spatially fixed infrastructures? Does it correspond with the phenomenon of rurality? How are these infrastructures contributing to the phenomenon of rurality? The project focuses on spatially fixed infrastructures and departs with a broad understanding of infrastructures that encompasses e.g. local shops, restaurants, and pubs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants