Deutschland - geographische Diskurse. Die Region im raumbezogenen Diskurs

Das Beispiel "Ruhrgebiet"

authored by

Rainer Danielzyk, Gerald Wood

Abstract

In our paper we deal with the "Ruhr" (German: ,,Ruhrgebiet ₎, a notion numerous readers will probably associate with some more or less distinctive images. Characteristically such mental representations refer to empirical phenomena and yet they cannot be equated with these. In other words: there is no "Ruhr as such". Images of the Ruhr are always individual and social interpretations of a multi-faceted social, temporal and socio-spatial reality. Reducing social reality by means of spatial abstractions serves the double function of structuring the empirical world and thus facilitating communication and of exercising power by influencing the ways in which people perceive, structure and assess socio-spatial reality. There is plethora of different historical and current representations of the "Ruhr". There are, however, certain recurrent patterns which can be distinguished and which play a role in different social contexts. The main aim of our contribution is to give a picture of these patterns and to highlight 'some of the prominent purposes of those who make use of them. By embracing a constructivist view of how to obtain knowledge we realise that our contribution is yet another (re-)construction of earlier social constructions of the "Ruhr" a further "story of the Ruhr" gets added to the many already in existence. We do hope, however, that our account may be novel and inspiring enough to make it interesting reading.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Environmental Planning

Type

Contribution in non-scientific journal

Journal

Berichte zur Deutschen Landeskunde

Volume

78

Pages

339-370

No. of pages

32

ISSN

0005-9099

Publication date

2004

Publication status

Published

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geography, Planning and Development, General Earth and Planetary Sciences