Blog | Refiguration

The spread of coronavirus since early 2020 has put many of us at home. Suddenly, the streams of bustling mobility across the globe have stopped. In this blog post, Ayham Dalal reflects on how transportation and mobility re-figured the world. Tracing their impact in the formation of unequal and asymmetric geographies, he puts two less-visible worlds in conversation with each other: “overly connected” and “overly isolated” ones. Using his personal experience of transiting between both, the article aims to show how the global growth and expansion of mobility networks privileged some and hindered others, thus producing unequal geographies and distorted imaginaries. In this historical moment, the article addresses the impact of extensive mobility on the re-figuration of spaces and urges to revisit the potentials of dwelling as counter-practice for a more just and livable future.

Welche Konsequenzen haben die Verordnung des ‚Social Distancing‘ für die Gesellschaft haben. Anhand (auto-)ethnographischer Notizen und Bildern werden insbesondere die ambivalenten Spannungen der Menschen zueinander, die veränderten Interaktionsordnungen, thematisiert. COVID-19 verändert die affektiven Strukturen der Lebenswelt, Bruch und Routinen werden am eigenen Leibkörper positiv wie negativ spürbar und die Gesellschaft steuert nun auf eine unsichere Zukunft zu.

While the corona pandemic is spreading globally transgressing all borders, territories are being closed down in a radical way. And while on the one hand we are trying to convert our private and professional social relations to digital media communication, we find ourselves largely limited by the regulations of our governments to the living spaces of our households and the most minimal social contact (without closing them completely).

Using the concept of refiguration, Hubert Knoblauch and Martina Löw are initiating a first analysis of communicative action at times of corona pandemic.

Fraya Frehse, die an der Universidade de São Paulo eine Professur für Soziologie (insb. Stadt-, Raum- und Alltagssoziologie) hält, war vom 15.02. bis zum 31.08.2019 Gastwissenschaftlerin am SFB 1265. Wir haben sie am Ende ihres Aufenthaltes interviewt. Im Gespräch berichtet Fraya Frehse unter anderem von ihren Erfahrungen am SFB und ihrem Blick auf die deutsche Stadtsoziologie.