«Neither Urban nor Rural»: symbolic space suburbs Irkutsk

The article explores the process of symbolic appropriation of suburb by settlers from the regional center of Eastern Siberia - Irkutsk. Author is examining symbolization of suburbs as one of the mechanisms of its isolation as a translocal space arising on border of the towns and villages. The author describes two basic practices of mapping appropriated space by new residents of suburban settlements. On the one hand - this is the inclusion of natural space in anthropogenic landscape through a geographic information system that creates a "drowing" of social space. On the other - it is the projection of the "drawing" in the physical space through the service GoogleMaps. The author concludes that the mapping "own" space becomes not only a tool for appropriating of suburb by new social group. Also, it is a mechanism destroying the monopoly of symbolic power of local governments over the space of the suburbs. The article describes the development of suburban architecture and space organization homestead of new suburban settlers. According to the author, these transformations of architectural landscape and functions of the house and outbuildings have become a symbol of the non-rural nature of new suburban space. At the same time preserving some agricultural functions of homestead becomes a symbol of exclusion suburb from urban space. Thus, the symbolics of private space in suburbs marks them as out-urban and out-rural space. Author considers a new character of trade and commercial advertising as the most striking symbol appropriation of suburb's business space. According to the author "urban" shops arising in the suburbs are becoming nodes of a new social space. Together with mass advertising, which is not characteristic of rural settlements, it becomes a symbol of exclusion suburb from traditional rural space. However, the orientation of advertising and trade not only for new residents but also for the indigenous rural population and transit traffic (including weekend outings) is the symbol of translocal nature of the new space. The author concludes that the character of examined symbolic space allows speaking about especial social space of suburbs. Such space closely linked with the urban and the rural societies both but existing quite independently.

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