The Production of Social Space (Henri Lefebvre) : Think Of: A. B

The Production of Social Space (Henri Lefebvre)
1. Accessibility and Distanciation: The Center and Peripheries in Literary Scholarship
In accessibility and distanciation, distance is seen as both a barrier to, and a defense against,
human interaction. This distance in scholarship/ intellectual production maintains the hegemony
of those who are powerful and at the center.
Think of:
a. Foreign [Western] literature versus local literature

b. Popular media versus traditional media [literary]
c. Language and/in/of literature
d. Authorship (who is the writer)
2. Appropriation and Domination of Space: The Powerful and the Silences
The Appropriation of Space examines the way in which space is occupied by objects. The
space for scholarship is appropriated to the elitist who generally support Western models and ideas.
While the Domination of Space [by individuals or powerful groups] is a systematized and
institutionalized appropriation of space which is for the production of territorially bounded forms
of social solidarity dominated by the elitist and the people at the center.
Think of:
a. The academic and the non-academic (literature)

b. Elitist literature
c. The “Famous” phenomenon (literary scholars and writers)
d. The “canon” in literature
3. Lived Space (Representational Spaces)
In the context of Representational Space, space is directly lived through its associated images
and symbols.
Think of:
a. Issue on representation: Who speaks? Who writes? Who controls the camera?
b. Audience: Who is listening? Who is reading? Who is viewing?
MAJOR 14: JG VERANO COED UEP 1

Contemporary, Popular and Emergent Literature
Contemporary Literature (Kontemporaryo)
The word contemporary means living, belonging to or occurring in the present. So when
we talk about contemporary literature, we are talking about literature that is being written in the
now about the now. But what does the now encompass?
Contemporary literature is defined as literature written after World War II through the
current day. While this is a vague definition, there is not a clear-cut explanation of this concept --
only interpretation by scholars and academics. While there is some disagreement, most agree that
contemporary literature is writing completed after 1940.
Works of contemporary literature reflect a society's social and/or political viewpoints,

shown through realistic characters, connections to current events and socioeconomic messages.
The writers are looking for trends that illuminate societal strengths and weaknesses to remind
society of lessons they should learn and questions they should ask. So when we think of
contemporary literature, we cannot simply look at a few themes or settings. Since society changes
over time, so do the content and messages of this writing.
When we talk about contemporary literature and the start date of this label, we have to
acknowledge World War II and the surrounding events. The horrors of the war, including bombs,
ground wars, genocide and corruption, are the pathways to this type of literature. It is from these
real-life themes that we find the beginning of a new period of writing.
Contemporary Literature also has a very important role because it reflects a society's social
as well as political point of views. Writers, in general, look for what is trending in their time for
their literary work. Because it helps them to illuminate the strength or weakness of society.
 Reality-based stories with strong characters and a believable story;

 Well-defined, realistic, highly developed characters in realistic, sometimes harsh
environments;
 Often the stories are character driven;
 Literature reflects current political, social and personal issues;
Popular Literature (Popular)
Popular literature includes those writings intended for the masses and those that find favor
with large audiences. It can be distinguished from artistic literature in that it is designed primarily
to entertain. Popular literature, unlike high literature, generally does not seek a high degree of
formal beauty or subtlety and is not intended to endure. The growth of popular literature has
paralleled the spread of literacy through education and has been facilitated by technological
developments in printing. With the Industrial Revolution, works of literature, which were
previously produced for consumption by small, well-educated elites, became accessible to large
sections and even majorities of the members of a population.

The boundary between artistic and popular literature is murky, with much traffic between
the two categories according to current public preference and later critical evaluation. While he
was alive William Shakespeare could be thought of as a writer of popular literature, but he is now
regarded as a creator of artistic literature. Indeed, the main, though not invariable, method of
defining a work as belonging to popular literature is whether it is ephemeral, that is, losing its
appeal and significance with the passage of time.
The most important genre in popular literature is and always has been the romance,
extending as it does from the Middle Ages to the present. The most common type of romance
describes the obstacles encountered by two people (usually young) engaged in a forbidden love.
Another common genre is that of fantasy, or science fiction. Novels set in the western frontier of
the United States in the 19th century, and called westerns, are also popular. Finally, the detective
story or murder mystery is a widely read form of popular literature. Popular literature has also
come to include such genres as comic books and cartoon strips.
Popular literature in English is writing which has shown wide and continued acceptance,
measured by sales, frequent imitation, adaptation to other cultural forms and general commercial
success. The word "popular" is meant as a synonym for "successful," not as an antonym for
"serious.
Emergent Literature (Kagyat)
The primary characteristics of emergent literature are “immediacy/ urgency and

relevance”. It usually includes literary pieces which reflects and expresses [re]action on and about
the present state of the society. It centers on time, space, and necessity.
Some important points in emergent literature:
a. It reflects “urgent and relevant” discourses and issues about society, culture,
consciousness, and aesthetics.
b. It considers “time” and “timing” to be significant.
c. It does not have any specific technology, form, medium, and method.
Samples would be the poetry of Jose Corazon de Jesus published in daily newspapers
during his time – as a reaction to the various issues during the American period. So
feeling ko, iyong poetry sa Facebook na may feeling of immediacy, is kagyat
[emergent] literature. It may be fleeting, it may go dated, but in the hands of a great
writer, the kagyat [emergent] may transcend time. You may sip a new wine using an
old container. Batute’s poetic form was old, but the content was immediate. The current
literature being written on FB is not new. Waray new form. Rehashed tanan nga forms.
(J. Gracio)
d. It is a sensory encounter (representation through words).
- It may be urgent to a particular group/sector of the society.
- Text as markers creates the sensory experience. It includes the power of the literary
work is to create the sensory of experience in the moment of encounter.
- It is sensory and it is immediate at the moment.

The Production of Social Space (Henri Lefebvre) : Think Of: A. B

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Production of Social Space (Henri Lefebvre) : Think Of: A. B

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Production of Social Space (Henri Lefebvre) : Think Of: A. B

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Production of Social Space (Henri Lefebvre)

1. Accessibility and Distanciation: The Center and Peripheries in Literary Scholarship

a. Foreign [Western] literature versus local literature

2. Appropriation and Domination of Space: The Powerful and the Silences

a. The academic and the non-academic (literature)

3. Lived Space (Representational Spaces)

MAJOR 14: JG VERANO COED UEP 1

Contemporary Literature (Kontemporaryo)

Works of contemporary literature reflect a society's social and/or political viewpoints,

 Reality-based stories with strong characters and a believable story;

Popular Literature (Popular)

MAJOR 14: JG VERANO COED UEP 2

Emergent Literature (Kagyat)

The primary characteristics of emergent literature are “immediacy/ urgency and

Some important points in emergent literature:

MAJOR 14: JG VERANO COED UEP 3

You might also like