Fragmented perspectives, transiting signs of urbanity
1.1. Introduction: Dissertation’s goals, hypotheses and underlying questions
Whil Whilee demo demogr grap aphi hicc and and soci socioo-ec econ onom omic ical al proc proces esse sess char charac acte teri risi sing ng cont contem empo pora rary ry mega mega citi cities es undo undoub ubte tedl dlyy chal challe leng ngee urba urbann admi admini nist stra rati tion onss in the the firs firstt inst instan ance ce,, inte interr alia alia with with an urge urgent nt need need for for sens sensit itiv ivee and and crea creati tive ve gove govern rnan ance ce solu soluti tion ons, s, the the focu focuss of this this diss disser erta tati tion on on Dhaka was set on the moments of the transiti itional period which the city is presently experiencing. „Moments“ are hereby meant in a spa spatial ial rather than temporal sense, as simu simult ltaaneou neouss elem elemen ents ts of a spat spatia iall proc proces ess: s: urban rbanis isat atio ion. n. In other ther word words, s, the the aim aim of this this research project was to study and describe cultural elements of Dhaka's process of urba urbani nisa sati tion on acce accept ptin ing g its its tran transi sito tory ry and and cons consti titu tuti tive vely ly frag fragme ment ntar ary y - beca becaus usee not not complete and heterogeneous - character.
The The stud studyy cons consci ciou ousl slyy dist distan ance cedd it itse self lf from from comm common on inte interp rpre reta tati tion onss acco accord rdin ingg to whic whichh urban dwellers, especially recently urbanised migrants, are passive “repeaters” of first hypoth hypothesi esiss unde pre prece cede dent nt cultu cultura rall infl influe uenc nces es.. The The first underl rlyi ying ng the the diss disser erta tati tion on was was that that new and origin original al “strateg “strategies ies”” and surviv survival al modes modes are are being being devel develope opedd in the challe challengi nging ng urban environment. second hypoth hypothesi esiss assumed that adopting, or being adopted by, one of Dhaka's The second various “subcultures” (in the sense of values and norms shared by segregated comm commun unit itie ies) s),, dwel dwelle lerrs not only only end end up to li live ve and and work work in defin efinit itee parts arts of the the city city,, but they they will will find ind them themse selv lves es gathe atheri rinng in parti articu cula larr spac spaces es,, buil buildding ing rela relati tion onsh ship ipss with with and and within them, and giving them an identity. This process leads to the transformation of spaces with mere functional character into spaces with peculiar identities. Correspondingly, the object of interest became concrete urban spaces with symbolic, i.e. culturally produced and codified, value. Final Fin ally ly,, a para parallel llel leve levell of rese resear arch ch was was repr repres esen ente tedd by urba urbann ever everyd yday ay li life fe,, whic whichh refl reflec ects ts progr progress essing ing and ind indivi ividua duall spat spatial ial „compe „competen tences ces““ and and „perfo „performa rmance nces“ s“ as well as ongoin ongoingg cult cultur ural al and and soci social al proc proces esse ses. s. Dhak Dhakaa dwel dwelle lers rs'' ever everyd yday ay li life fe appe appear ared ed to be char charac acte teri rise sedd by extr extrem emel elyy orig origin inal al and and crea creati tive ve prac practi tice ces, s, nece necess ssar aryy to cope cope with with the the quic quickl klyy evol evolvi ving ng phy physi sica call and and soci social al envi enviro ronm nmen ent. t. Thes Thesee prac practi tice cess give give form form to what what was was term termed ed enriched third hypoth hypothesi esiss – spa space, space, a space rich in different functions. In Dhaka - so the third space becomes becomes a n-power n-power of itself through through peculiar peculiar uses, religious religious and symbolic transform transformations ations as well as through the overlapping of productive activities fulfilled by the inhabitants.
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