Janet Wolff_the Real City the Discursive City the Disappearing City_Postmodernism and Urban Sociology

7/25/2019 Janet Wolff_the Real City the Discursive City the Disappearing City_Postmodernism and Urban Sociology

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Forum

Th e real city the discursive city the disappearin g city:

Postmodernism and urban sociology

JANET WOLFF

University of Rochester

Posts t ructura lis t and pos tm ode rn theor ies have a lready had a consider-

able impact in anthropology, and mains tream socio logy is beginning to

consider the implica t ions of these developm ents . A recent issue of a

socio logy journal is devoted to a sympo sium on postmodernism, in

whic h a radical rethinking of sociological the ory is prop os ed (by Steven

Seidman) and debated . I Som ewh at i ronica lly , the socio logy of cul ture

and the arts (m y ow n field) has be en slow to enga ge with crit ical wo rk

in the hum anities ( l i terary studies, f i lm theory, and cultural studies), a

re luctance tha t seems to p erpet uate the d isc ip l inary d iv ide in the s tudy

of culture and to b lock a m ore produc t ive col labora t ion betw een those

intereste d in essentially the sam e project, na me ly a sociological analysis

of the ar ts f But urban socio logis ts and urban theor is ts have been

address ing these quest ions (notably David Harvey and Edward Soja ,

but a lso contr ibutors to the journal Society and Space , and Michael

Smith' s a r tic le in this volume should b e seen as par t of the imp ortant

projec t of re th inking both the c i ty and u rban s tudies f rom the poin t of

v iew of pos tmo dern theory .

On e of the problems with d iscuss ions about po stm odern ism is tha t the

vocabulary of crit ical theory is often confusingly elided, and this is a

persistent difficulty with Sm ith 's article. In the l i terature generally,

postm odernism is sometimes used gener ica l ly to refer to a var ie ty of

so-called poststructuralist theories (deconstructionism, semiotics,

Lacanian psychoanaly t ic theory , Foucauldian d iscourse theory , and

pos tmo dern theory). I f ind it mo re useful to res t ric t the term post-

mo der n theory to the cr i tique of rec ta-narra t ives developed by Lyo-

tard, and to the analys is of contem por ary socie ty in which the to ta l ity

is no longe r visible (as argue d by Fre dric Jame son). Alth oug h varieties

of post theor ies do of ten over lap or ge t conjo ined by som e wri ters ,

they are not identica l, nor even necessar i ly compat ib le .

Theory and Society

21: 553-560 1992.

1992

KluwerAcademic Publishers Printed in the Netherlands


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55

I n th e c o u r s e o f h is e s sa y , M i c h a e l S m i t h m a k e s t h e f o l lo w i n g p o i n t s3 :

1. P e o p l e a r e a c ti v e p a r t i c i p a n t s i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e so c i a l w o r l d .

T h e y a r e n o t p a s s i v e e n t i t i e s , e n t i r e l y d e t e r m i n e d b y m a c r o s t r u c t u r a l

f a c t o r s .

2 . C u l t u r e p l ay s a s i m p o r t a n t a r o l e i n s o c ia l l if e a n d s o c i a l c h a n g e as d o

e c o n o m i c a n d m a t e r i a l f a c to r s .

3 . T h e s o c i a l w o r l d , w i t h

w h i h w e

a r e c o n f r o n t e d , a n d i n

w h i h w e

ac t , i s

d i s c u r s i v e l y c o n s t r u c t e d . I t i s a p r o d u c t o f l i n g u i s t i c a n d c o n c e p t u a l

f o r m u l a t i o n , a n d is n o t s im p l y o u t t h e r e '

4 . P o s t m o d e r n t h e o r y h a s c o n v i n c i n g ly d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t g r a n d n a r r a -

t iv e s c a n n o t b e d e f e n d e d ; t h is ap p l ie s to M a r x i s m a n d a n y m e t a n a r r a -

t i v es o r m a s t e r d i s c o u r s e s .

5 . U r b a n s tu d i e s m u s t t a k e a c c o u n t o f d e v e l o p m e n t s i n p o s t m o d e r n t h eo r y .

6 . S t u d i e s o f t h e ci ty m u s t t a k e a c c o u n t o f t h e g l o b a l d i m e n s i o n .

7 . S t u d i e s o f t h e c i ty m u s t b e f o c u s s e d o n t h e lo c a l.

8 . T h e r e h a v e b e e n m a j o r c h a n g e s n a t i o n al l y a n d i n t e r n a ti o n a l l y i n t h e

s o c i a l w o r l d , a n d u r b a n s t u d i e s m u s t t a k e a c c o u n t o f t h e s e . ( T h e y i n -

c l u d e t h e r e s t r u c t u r in g o f l a b o r p r o c e ss e s , m a s s c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , t h e

e n d o f t h e C o l d W a r , g l o b a l g e o - p o l i t i c a l r e s t r u c t u r i n g , a n d t r a n s n a -

t i o n a l m i g r a t i o n . )

9 . E s s e n t i a l i s t t h e o r i e s o f id e n t i t y h a v e to b e c o n t e s t e d . R a t h e r , id e n t i t i e s

a r e p r o v i s i o n a l c o n s t r u c t s , a r t i c u l a t e d i n s p e c i f ic c o n t e x t s .

1 0. I t i s i m p o r t a n t , i n a n t h r o p o l o g i c a l a n d s o c i o l o g ic a l i n q u ir y , t o e m p l o y a

m e t h o d o l o g y t h a t g iv e s v o i c e t o t h e s u b j e c t , a n d d o e s n o t s i m p l y im -

p o s e t h e r e s e a r c h e r ' s m e a n i n g s o n t h o s e b e i n g s t u d i e d .

T h e s e s e e m t o m e t o b e t h e m a i n a r g u m e n t s o f th e a r t ic le . I h a v e e x -

t r a c t e d t h e m f r o m w h a t i s a c o m p l e x ( a n d , a s I s h a l l a r g u e , o f t e n

u n c l e a r ) te x t, a n d p a r a p h r a s e d t h e m - t h o u g h I h o p e a c c u r a te l y a n d

f ai rl y. I a g r e e w i t h e a c h o f t h e s e t e n p o i n t s . M o r e o v e r , I t h i n k a l l o f

t h e m s h o u l d b e c e n t r a l t o t h e r e o r i e n t a t i o n o f s o c i o l o g i c a l t h e o r y i n

g e n e r a l , a n d u r b a n s o c i o l o g y i n p ar t ic u la r .

H o w e v e r , t h e y a r e t e n

qu i te separa te argu m ents

N o t a s i n g l e o n e o f

t h e m f o l l o w s f r o m a n y o f t h e o t h e rs . T h i s m e a n s t h at e a c h o n e h a s t o b e

a r g u e d a n d d e f e n d e d ( s o m e t h i n g t h a t I b e l i e v e c a n b e d o n e ) . T h e p r o b -

l e m w i t h S m i th s a r t ic l e i s t h a t a p e r s i s t e n t e l i s i o n o f t h e s e t o p i c s w e a k -

e n s h i s c a s e . A n i l l e g i t i m a t e s l i d i n g f r o m o n e a r g u m e n t t o a n o t h e r - a s

i f t h e y w e r e t h e s a m e , o r a s i f o n e f o l l o w e d f r o m t h e o t h e r - o b v i a t e s

t h e n e e d t o a n a l y z e a n d j us tif y. A m o n g m a n y e x a m p l e s o f th is e l is i o n

a r e t h e f o l l o w i n g : A r g u m e n t s 4 ( a g a i n s t m e t a n a r r a t i v e s ) a n d 9 ( a n t i -

e s s e n t i a li s m ) ; A r g u m e n t s 1 ( p e o p l e a s a c t i v e p a r t i ci p a n t s ), 7 ( f o c u s o n

t h e m i c r o l e v e l ) a n d 3 ( t h e d i s c u r s i v e n a t u r e o f re a li ty ); A r g u m e n t s 4

( a g a i n s t M a r x i s m a s g r a n d n a r r a t i v e) a n d 2 ( c e n t r a l i t y o f c u l tu r e - i .e .

h e r e a n a n t i - e c o n o m i s t i c a r g u m e n t) ; A r g u m e n t s 6 ( th e g lo b a l c o n t e x t


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5 5 5

of c i t i e s ) and 8 ( t he subs t an t i ve , h i s t o r i ca l a rgumen t t ha t t he g loba l

c o n t e x t h a s c h a n g e d ) ; A r g u m e n t s 1 ( p e o p l e a r e n o t p a s si v e ) a n d 1 0

( d ia l o gi c m e t h o d o l o g y ) ; A r g u m e n t s 3 ( n o m e t a n a r r a t i v e s ) a n d 1 0 (d i a -

lo g ic m e t h o d o l o g y ) . O f c o u r s e , th e r e m a y b e a c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n a n

e m p h a s i s o n t h e e v e r y d a y p r a c t i c e s a n d a c t iv e p a r t i c ip a t i o n o f p e o p l e

i n t h e s o c ia l o n t h e o n e h a n d , a n d t h e c e n t r a l i t y o f c u l t u r e in s o c i al li fe

o n t h e o t h e r , b u t t h e y a r e d i f f e r e n t p o in t s: i t is p o s s ib l e t o e m p h a s i z e

cu l t u re i n an en t i r e l y macrosoc io log i ca l pe r spec t i ve . S imi l a r l y , a non-

e c o n o m i s t ic a c c o u n t c a n s till b e a v e r s i o n o f m e t a n a r r a t i v e - l o o k i n g a t

c u l t u r e d o e s n ' t g u a r a n t e e a p o s t m o d e r n p e r s p e c t i v e . O r , m i c r o s o c i o l -

o g ie s , w i t h t h e i r f o c u s o n a c t o r s a n d t h e l o ca l , n e e d n o t b e c o m m i t t e d

t o a v i e w o f th e s o c i al a s d is c u rs iv e . A n d t h e q u e s t io n o f m e t h o d o l o g y

( le t ti n g t h e s u b j e c t s p e a k f o r h i m / h e r s e l f ) h a s n o t h i n g m u c h t o d o w i t h

any o f th i s ( t houg h , aga in , i n f ac t it is o f t en r a i s ed i n c on junc t i on wi th

these ques t i ons o f ana lys i s) .

I n a d d i t i o n t o c o n f u s i o n s a m o n g t h e c e n t r a l a r g u m e n t s I h a v e i d e n t i -

f i ed , t he re a re o the r s l ippages . In on e p l ace (p . 501 ), S mi th equa t es t he

d e - c e n t e r e d su b j e c t w i t h t h e s u b je c t w i t h n o ro l e s - a t o ta l ly d i f f e r e n t

m a t t e r , a n d a t o t a l ly d i f f e r e n t t h e o r e t i c a l d i s c o u r s e . I n t h e s a m e d i s c u s -

s i on , he e l i des t he c r i t i que o f e s sen t i a l i sm wi th t he c r i t i que o f t he

n o t i o n o f t h e

rational actor,

a n o t h e r c a s e o f t h e m i xi n g o f l a ng u a g e s o f

a n a l y s i s . E l s e w h e r e , h e m o v e s f r o m t h e q u e s t i o n o f s u b j e c t s ( t h o s e

s tud i ed ) t o r eader s (o f soc io log i ca l accoun t s? ) (p . 507 ) ; a l t hough t he re

a r e g o o d p o s t s tr u c t u r a l is t a r g u m e n t s f o r d e m o c r a t i c s tr a te g i e s in e a c h

c a se , a w a y fr o m t h e a u t h o r i t y o f t h e r e s e a r c h e r / a u t h o r , a g a in t h e y a r e

s e p a r a t e is su e s. I n a n o t h e r n o n s e q u i t u r ( a n d , as e l s e w h e r e , m a k i n g a n

i l l e g i t i m a t e l i n k b e t w e e n t w o i n d e p e n d e n t l y q u i t e l e g i t i m a t e p o i n t s ) ,

S m i t h c it es t h e p o s t m o d e r n p r a c t ic e o f

appropriation

a n d

quoting

( in

t h e c a s e o f t h e f i lm

Brazil

as an ex am ple (wh ich i t is no t ) o f t he cons t i -

t u ti v e s t r u c t u r e o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g ( p. 4 9 9 ). T h e e x a m p l e , m o r e o v e r , is

m i s l e a d i n g b e c a u s e t h e p o i n t a b o u t t h e c o n s t i tu t iv e r o l e o f l a n g u a g e i s

tha t i t i s

always

t he case ; t o t ry t o i l lu s t r a t e it w i t h t he s e co nd ary cons t i -

t u t ive p rac t i ces o f pa r t i cu l a r t ex t s we ake ns t he a rgu m en t . Las tl y , i n d is -

cus s ing t he no t i on o f t he pub l i c sphere (p . 517 ) , S mi th aga in merges

t w o i m p o r t a n t , b u t d i st in c t , cr it iq u e s : th e f a c t t h a t t h e d o m e s t i c s p h e r e

has to be t aken in to accou n t , and t he f ac t t ha t t he pub l i c is cu l t u ra l a s

w el l as pol i t ical .

I h a v e d o c u m e n t e d t h e s e p o in t s o f c o l la p s e o f a r g u m e n t a t s o m e l e n gt h,

n o t i n a n a t t e m p t t o u n d e r m i n e S m i th 's w h o l e p r o j e c t bu t, o n t h e c o n -

t r a ry , bec aus e I sha re h is con cern s . Bec ause I th ink soc io log i s ts do hav e


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5 5 6

t o w o r k w i t h d e v e l o p m e n t s i n c ri ti c al t h e o r y , i n c lu d i n g p o s t s t r u c tu r a l i s t

a n d p o s t m o d e r n t h e o r ie s , I b e l i e v e i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o m a k e t h e c a s e f o r

th i s w i th g r e a t c l ar it y . W ha t I t h ink th is m e a ns i s t ha t w e ne e d a c a r e fu l

e x p o s i t i o n o f e a c h o f t h e c e n t r al a r g u m e n t s - m o s t o f w h i c h p r e s e n t a

r e a l c ha l l e nge to t r a d i t i ona l a pp r oa c he s i n t he soc i a l s c i e nc e s . Ou t o f

t h is i t w i ll b e p o s s i b l e t o r e t h i n k u r b a n s t u d ie s i n t h e l ig h t o f p o s t m o d -

e r n i sm.

T h e u n a v o i d a b l e q u e s t i o n f o r a p o s t s t r u c tu r a l i s t s o c io l o g y , p o s e d m o r e

c r i t ica l ly than in the case of , say , pos ts t ruc tura l i s t l i t e ra ry c r i t ic i sm, i s

W h a t i s ' th e r e a l '? R a d i c a l v e r s i o n s o f d i s c o u r s e t h e o r y i n s is t t h a t

t h e r e i s no r e a l ; t ha t a l l we ha ve a r e t he d i s c ou r se s a nd a r t i c u l a t i ons

tha t c o ns t i t u t e t h e soc i a l a nd ou r l ive d e xpe r i e n c e o f it. I n c u l tu r a l s tud -

i e s a n d f e m i n i s t t h e o r y , s u c h a c c o u n t s c o n t i n u e t o b e c o n t e s t e d , o n

g r ounds tha t a r e t he o r e t i c a l ( t he i r u l t ima te i de a l i sm a nd r e l a t i v i sm) ,

o n t o l o g i c a l ( t h ei r f u n d a m e n t a l a g n o s t i c is m a b o u t t h e e x t ra - d is c u rs i v e ),

a nd po l i t i c a l ( t he i r i na b i l i t y t o p r ov ide a ba s i s f o r c r i t i que o r a soc i a l

i d e n t it y f o r p o li ti c a l o r g a n iz a t io n ) . W h e t h e r o r n o t w e a r e p r e p a r e d t o

g ive up m e ta na r r a t i ve s suc h a s Ma r x i sm , we ma y stil l wa n t t o a r gue tha t

c l a s s d iv i s ions a r e pe r s i s t e n t a nd de t e r mina n t , o r t ha t t he r e a r e c l e a r ly

s y s t e m a t ic a l ly s t r u c t u r e d g e n d e r i n e q u al i ti e s i n c o n t e m p o r a r y s o c ie ty .4

I n S m i t h 's a c c o u n t t h e r e al p u t s i n te n t a ti v e a p p e a r a n c e s , b e t w e e n a r g u -

m e n t s f o r it s a b o l it i o n . H a v i n g a r g u e d t h a t t h e g l o b a l c o n t e x t o f u r b a n

l if e i t s e lf i s no t a n ob je c t ive s t r uc tu r e e x i s ti ng ' ou t t he r e , ' bu t a n in t e r -

s u b j e c t iv e a n d c o n t e s t e d s e t o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g s a b o u t m a t e ri a l, c u l t u ra l ,

a n d h i s t o r ic a l p e r m i s s i o n s a n d c o n s t r a i n ts ( p. 5 0 3 ) , h e g o e s o n i n t h e

ne x t pa r a g r a ph to l i s t t he ( ve r y r ea l s o c i a l c o n d i t i o n s w i t h w h i c h w e

a r e c on f r on te d - e c o nom ic , soc i a l, i n t e r na t iona l , e thn ic , a nd so on . O n

t h e n e x t p a g e , h is fo r m u l a t i o n s e e m s v e r y u n d i s c u r si v e . B y m y re a d i n g

t h e c o m p l e x g l o b a l c h a n g e s I h a v e j u s t e n u m e r a t e d h a v e c r e a t e d n e w

m a t e r i a l a n d c u l t u r a l c o n d i t i o n s c o n d u c i v e t o t h e p o l i t i c a l p r o d u c t i o n

o f a mu l t i p l i c i t y o f l oc a l ' vo i c e s , ' i nc lud ing po te n t i a l l y oppos i t i ona l

v o i c e s t o d o m i n a n t m o d e s o f s i g ni fi c at io n a n d p o w e r . U n d e r t h e s e c o n -

d i t ions , d i f fe rences of r ace , gender , c la ss , e thn ic i ty , sexua l i ty , loca l i ty ,

a n d r e g i o n a n d t h e i r c o m p l e x i n t e r p l a y i n d i s c o u r s e s w h e r e p e r s o n a l

a n d g r o u p i d e n ti t ie s a r e f o r m e d , h a v e b e c o m e in c i p i e n t s o c ia l b a s e s o f

n e w d i s c u r si v e p r a c t i c e s a n d h e n c e o f t h e e m e r g e n c e o f n e w s u b j e c t -

pos i t i on s ( p . 504 ) . B u t by the t im e w e ge t t o t he fi nal , subs t a n t ive , d is -

c us s ion o f e thn ic i t y , t he r e a l e va po r a t e s a ga in , a nd e thn ic i de n t i t y i s a

m a t t e r o f t h e a r t ic u l a ti o n o f d i s c o u r s e s .

T h e q u e s t i o n o f th e r e a l a n d t h e d i s c u r s iv e is a p r e s s in g p r o b l e m f o r a


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5 5 7

p o s t m o d e r n s o c io l o g y . T h o u g h t h e r e is n o t s p a c e t o p u r s u e t h i s h e r e ,

m y o w n v i e w i s t h a t i t i s p o s s i b l e t o r e c o g n i z e t h e c e n t r a l i t y o f r e p r e -

s e n t a t i o n i n s o ci a l l if e a n d ( m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y h e r e ) i n s o ci a l t h e o r y - i n

t h e w a y s i n w h i c h w e c o n c e p t u a l i z e t h e s o c ia l w o r l d - a n d a t t h e s a m e

t i m e t o a r g u e f o r t h e p e r s i s t e n c e , p o w e r , a n d e f f e c t iv i t y o f c e r t a i n s t r u c -

t u r e s ( o r, p e r h a p s , a r t i c u l a ti o n s ) .5

T h i s m e a n s t h a t w e c a n s t i l l t a l k a b o u t c l a s s , c a p i t a l , m i g r a t i o n , e t h -

n i ci ty , a n d s o o n , a n d d o s o u n a p o l o g e t i c a l l y ; a t t h e s a m e t i m e , w e

k n o w t h a t t h e s e c a t e g o r i e s a r e m e d i a t e d i n r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a n d a r t i c u -

l a t e d ( a n d e x p e r i e n c e d ) i n c o m p l e x w a y s , a n d a l s o t h a t t h e y a r e

g r a s p e d i n sp e c if ic th e o r e t i c a l a n d c o n c e p t u a l f r a m e w o r k s .

I n a d d i t i o n , I t h i n k w e c a n re l a ti v e l y u n p r o b l e m a t i c a l l y a l s o f i x i d e n -

t it y w i t h o u t r e s o r t i n g t o p r e - t h e o r e t i c a l e s s e n ti a li s m . A s s o m e f e m i n i st s

h a v e r e c e n t l y a r g u e d , i t i s c r u c i a l n o t t o e m p l o y p o s t s t r u c t u r a l i s t t h e o -

r ie s i n s u c h a w a y as t o e v a c u a t e t h e v e r y te r r a i n o f g e n d e r. A l t h o u g h i t

i s t r u e t h a t w o m a n i s a d i s c u r s i v e c o n s t r u c t ( o r, a s i t h a s a l so b e e n

put , a s ign6 , a n d a l t h o u g h t h e r e is n o t h i n g e s s e n t i a l a b o u t t h e c a t eg o r y

o r t h e i d e n t i t y , n e v e r t h e l e s s w o m e n a r e n o t , a s D e n i s e R i l e y h a s p u t it ,

j u s t f l u c t u a t i n g i d e n t i ti e s . '7 F o r a t le a s t th r e e r e a s o n s , t h e s e i d e n t i t i e s

( in th i s c a s e as w o m a n ) a r e r e l a ti v e ly s t a b le . F i r s t , w o m e n a r e s it u -

a t e d , a n d t r e a t e d ,

a s

w o m e n i n t h e s o ci a l w o r l d . S e co n d l y , e x p e r i e n -

t ia l ly t h i s i d e n t i t y m a y b e c e n t r a l ( a t le a s t, a s R i l e y s h o w s , f o r c o n s i d e r -

a b l e p o r t i o n s o f t h e t i m e , s i n c e w e d o n ' t i n h a b i t p a r t i c u l a r i d e n t i t i e s

c o n s i s t e n t ly ) . A n d t h ir d l y , t a c t ic a l l y a n d p o l i ti c a ll y , w o m e n s t a r t f r o m a

s h a r e d a c c e p t a n c e o f t h e s p e c if i c i d e n t i t y o f w o m a n . F o r t h e s e r e a -

s o n s , 1 f i n d S m i t h ' s d i s c u s s i o n o f L a t i n o e t h n i c i d e n t i t y f a r t o o t e x t u a l .

I n h i s w e l l - f o u n d e d c o n c e r n t o a v o i d e s s e n ti a li z in g e t h n i c i d e n ti ty , h e

r e s o r t s t o o e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y t o t h e d i s c u r s i v e - p o l e m i c a l t e x ts , m u s i c ,

s o n g s , e tc . I d e n t i t y ( e t h n i c a n d o t h e r w i s e ) i s n o t j u s t a k i n d o f f r e e -

f l o a t i n g i n t e r t e x t u a l i t y , h o w e v e r . S o a l t h o u g h i t m a y b e t r u e t h a t s o m e

o f t h e s e a r t i c u l a t i o n s a n d d i s c o u r s e s d o p l a y a n i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n t h e

f o r m a t i o n a n d e x p e r i e n c e o f i d e n t i t i e s , w h a t i s m i s s i n g h e r e i s t h e

s o c i o l o g i c a l a c c o u n t , o f i n s t i t u t i o n s , s o c i a l r e l a t i o n s , i d e o l o g i e s , a n d

p r a c t i c e s .

I n t h e g e n e r a l d i s a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e r e a l i n a p o s t m o d e r n a c c o u n t , t h e

m a j o r a b s e n c e i n th i s a r t i c le is t h e u r b a n i ts e lf . T h e l a st , l e n g t h y , s e c t i o n

o n e t h n i c i d e n t i t y d o e s n o t d e a l w i th t h e c i t y a t a ll ( th o u g h o f c o u r s e w e

c a n a s s u m e t h a t c o n t e s t a t io n s o f e th n i c i d e n t i t y t a k e p l a c e w i t h i n u r b a n

c o n t e x t s ) . T h e r e i s n 't n e c e s s a r i l y a p r o b l e m w i t h th i s - i t c o u l d b e t h a t


6/8

5 5 8

the a r t i c l e i s i n t e nde d to be p r ima r i ly a bou t e thn ic i de n t i t y , r a the r t ha n

u r b a n e t h n o g r a p h y o r u r b a n s t u d i e s m o r e g e n e ra ll y . H o w e v e r , i n t h e

f ir s t p a r t o f th e a r t ic le , S m i t h a p p e a r s t o p r o m i s e a c o n t r i b u t i o n t o

u r b a n s t u d ie s , a n d t h e e v a p o r a t i o n o f th e c i ty c o m e s a s s o m e t h i n g o f a

s u r p ri s e . O f c o u r s e t h e c i ty p o s e s a ll t h e p r o b l e m s t h a t a n y r ea l

e n t it y d o e s , a n d i t h a s b e e n t h e i m p o r t o f c e r ta i n r e c e n t w o r k t o

d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t t h i s t o o i s a d i s c u rs i v e c o n s t r u c t . 8 T h e r e i s a n e w

e m p h a s i s o n t h e s y m b o l i c an d r e p r e s e n t a t io n a l a s p e c t s o f s p a c e , i n-

c l u d in g u r b a n s p a c e , i n u r b a n s o c i o l o g y a n d u r b a n g e o g r a p h y , a n d i n

s u c h a c o n t e x t , t h e f o r m e r l y s o l i d c i t y a n d u r b a n s p a c e s b e g i n t o d i s -

so lve. I wa n t t o c o nc lu de b y pu t t i ng the c a se , a gain , f o r t he r e t e n t ion o f

the r e a l - i n th i s c a se , t he r e a l c it y a nd the r e a l i t y o f phys i c a l, u r ba n

spa c e s . I n th i s, t oo , I t a ke que s t ions o f ge n de r a s my f oc us .

F e m i n i s m a n d p o s t m o d e r n i s m h a v e h a d a c o m p l i c a t e d r e l a t i o n s h i p .

O n e p o i n t o f v i e w c e le b r a t e s t h e p o t e n t i a l a l li a n ce ( fi rs t p r o p o s e d b y

C r a ig Owe ns ) be twe e n a po l i t i c a l a nd a na ly t i c p r o j e c t t ha t ha s a n in t e r -

e s t i n de s t a b i l i z ing the domina n t c u l tu r e , a nd a t he o r e t i c a l a nd a e s the t -

i c p r o g r a m t h a t d o e s j u s t t h at . T h e o p p o s i t e p o s i t i o n r e j e c t s a r a d ic a l

r e l a t iv i sm tha t de c on s t r uc t s w om a n a s i t c ha l l e nge s ge n de r r e l a ti ons ,

a n d l e av e s n o p o s s i b i li t y o f a fo u n d a t i o n a l g r o u n d f o r f em i n i s t c r it i q u e

o r f e m i n i s t p o l i t i c s . B e t w e e n t h e t w o , p r o p o s a l s h a v e b e e n m a d e f o r a

m o r e p r a g m a t i c a s s o c i a ti o n , ta k i n g a d v a n t a g e o f t h e d e c o n s t r u c t i v e

p o t e n t i a l o f p o s t m o d e r n t h e o r y a n d i t s c h a l l e n g e t o t h o s e m e t a - n a r r a -

t ive s t ha t ha ve a lwa ys m a r g ina l i z e d w om e n , bu t r e ta in ing the pos s ib i l i t y

o f sma l l e r na r r a t i ve s , t a c t i c a l ide n t i t ie s , a n d s t r uc tu r a l c r i ti que s . S m i th

r e f e r s b r i e f ly t o a f e min i s t c r i t i que ( by M a sc i a - L e e s , S h a r pe , a nd

C o h e n ) o f t h e p o s t m o d e r n i s t t u r n i n a n t h r o p o l o g y th a t h e e m p l o y s a s

a m o d e l ( th e w o r k o f C l i ff o r d a n d M a r c u s ). T h i s e s s a y c h a ll e n ge s t h e

n e w a n t h r o p o l o g y , f ir st , o n t h e g r o u n d s t h a t f e m i n is t s h a v e b e e n d o i n g

t h is k i n d o f d ia l o g ic w o r k f o r s o m e t im e , a n d s e c o n d l y , o n t h e g r o u n d s

t h a t t h e a n th r o p o l o g i s t s d o n o t g r o u n d t h e i r w o r k in th e n e e d s a n d

in t e r e s t s o f t he i r sub je c t s . Th e a u tho r s c on c lud e by r e it e r a ti ng th e r isk

o f p o s t m o d e r n i s m , w h i c h c a n le a d t o a d e n i a l o f t h e c o n t i n u e d e x is t-

e nc e o f a h i e r a r c hy o f d i s c ou r se s . . . w i th a l l vo i c e s be c oming e qua l ' 9

A s in t he c a se o f t he d i s c u r s ive / th e r e a l , a nd the que s t ion o f i de n t it y ,

f em i n is ts h a v e t o b e w a r y o f cl ai m s f o r s u p p o s e d l y d e m o c r a t i c m e t h o d -

o log ie s t ha t i gno r e r e a l it i e s o f po w e r a n d ine qual it y .

I t i s i n t e r es t i ng , t h e r e f o r e , t ha t i n t he c a se o f u r b a n s tud ie s two f e mi -

n i st s h a v e r e c en t l y t a k e n t h e s i d e o f p o s t m o d e r n i s m a g a in s t t h e f o u n -

d a t io n a l is m a n d a n d r o c e n t r i s m o f D a v i d H a r v e y an d E d w a r d S o ja . m


7/8

5 5 9

A l t h o u g h I w o u l d e n d o r s e t h e p r o j e c t o f c h a l le n g i n g c e rt a i n t o ta l iz i n g

v i s i o n s ,

h e r e I w a n t t o s tr e s s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f r es i st in g r a d i c a l p o s t -

m o d e r n i s m , a n d a s s e r t i n g t h e e f f e c t s o f t h e r e a l - t h e e x t r a - d i s c u r s i v e .

F e m i n i s t g e o g r a p h e r s a n d p l a n n e r s h a v e p o i n t e d o u t t h e v e r y s p e c if ic

e x p e r i e n c e s a n d n e e d s o f w o m e n in u r b a n s p a c e s J I A l t h o u g h w e c a n

n o w s e e ( t h a n k s to th e o r i e s o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , i n c l u d in g p o s t m o d e r n

t h e o r y ) t h a t s o c i a l r e l a t i o n s , i n s t i t u t i o n s , a n d p r a c t i c e s a r e d i s c u r s i v e l y

p r o d u c e d a n d m e d i a t e d , t hi s d o e s n o t r e n d e r t h e m a n y le s s r ea l. J u s t as

e t h n i c i t y c a n n o t b e u n d e r s t o o d ( o r r a c i s m c h a l l e n g e d ) a t t h e l e v e l o f

t h e t e x t , s o w o m e n ' s n e g o t i a t i o n o f t h e c i t y i s n o t j u s t a q u e s t i o n o f

m e a n i n g s a n d r e p r e s e n t a t io n s . I n t h e c a s e o f l a te n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y

P a r i s , G r i s e l d a P o l l o c k h a s i ll u s t r a te d t h e c o m p l e x i n t e r p l a y o f t h e r e a l

a n d t h e d i s c u r s i v e / t e x t u a l i n t h e w a y s in w h i c h w o m e n c o u l d i n h a b i t

t h e m o d e r n c ity , s h o w i n g t h a t t h e i r r e a l c o n f i n e m e n t t o t h e p r i v a t e

s p h e r e w a s b o t h p r o d u c e d a n d r e p r e s e n t e d in v i su a l a n d o t h e r d is -

c o u r s e s J 2 I f w e o v e r e m p h a s i z e t h e p r o d u c t i v e p o w e r o f te x t s a n d d i s-

c o u r s e s , w e b o t h i g n o r e t h e r e a l c o n s t r a i n t s o f e x t r a -d i s c u r s iv e f a c t o r s,

a n d e x a g g e r a t e t h e p o s s i b i l i ti e s o f p o l i ti c a l c h a l le n g e a n d s o c i a l c h a n g e .

I n t h e lo n g e r r u n , t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s i n d i s c o u r s e m i g h t e n g e n d e r c h a n g e s

i n t h e s o c i al r e al m . I n t h e s h o r t t e r m , w e s h o u l d n o t m a k e t h e m i s t a k e

o f ta k i n g o n e f o r t h e o t h e r .

o t e s

1. Stev en Seidman, The end o f sociological theory: Th e postmod ern hope, Soc io -

logical Theory 9/2 (Fal l 1991).

2. Janet Wolff, Fem in ine Sen tences, Es s ays on W om en and Cu l ture (Polity Press/Uni-

versity of California Press, 1990), especially Prospects and problems fo r a post-

modern feminism: An introduction and Texts and institutions: Problems of femi-

nist criticism.

3. One of my criticisms of his article is of its promiscuous sliding across theoretical

and substantive issues. Because of this sliding, it is not always clear what point is

being made. This list is therefore a sum mary o f my reading of the piece.

4. S ee, for exam ple, Allen Hunter's critique o f Laclau and Mou ffe's radical scepti-

cism: Post-Marxism and the new social movem ents,

Theor y and Soc ie ty

17

(1988): 885-90 0.

5. A s Hun ter say s about Laclau and M ouffe, their focus on the constitutive or con-

structive mom ent is impo rtant, und ercutting essentialism, determ inism, and holism;

but

in i tse l f . . ,

this position arg ues neither a gainst the existence of constituted totali-

ties nor against the greater pow er, durability, and reproducibility of some forms o f

social activity ov er others, ( P ost-Ma rxism, p. 891).

6. Elizabeth Cowie, Wo man as sign, in Parveen Adams and E lizabeth Cowie, edi-

tors, The Woman in Ques t ion: m/f(Verso, 1990).

7. Denise Riley, Am I tha t name? : Femin i s m and the ca tegor y o f 'women ' in h i s to r y

(University of Minnesota Press, 1988).


8/8

56

8 . I have used the t e rm the d i scu r s ive c i ty myse l f , i n a d i scuss ion o f t he ways in

w h i c h t h e n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y c i ty w a s p r o d u c e d i d e o l o g ic a l ly in v i s u a l a n d o t h e r

r e p r e s e n t a ti o n s . S ee C a r o l i n e A r s c o tt , G r i s e l d a P o ll o c k , a n d J a n e t W o l f f, T h e p a r -

t i a l v iew: Th e v i sua l r ep re sen ta t ion o f the ea r ly n ine t ee n th - cen tu ry c ity, i n Jane t

Wol f f and John Seed , ed i to r s , The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nine-

teenth-Century Middle Class ( M a n c h e s t e r U n i v e r s i t y P r e ss , 1 9 8 8 ). S e e a l s o J o h n

Tagg , The d i scon t inuou s c ity: P i c tu r ing and the d i scu r s ive f i e ld , Strategies 3

(1990) .

9 . F r a n c e s E . M a s c i a -L e e s , P a t ri c i a S h a r p e, a n d C o l l e e n B a l l e r i n o C o h e n , T h e p o s t -

m o d e r n i s t t u r n i n a n t h r o p o l o g y : C a u t i o n s f r o m a f e m i n i s t p e rs p e c ti v e , Signs 18/1

(1989) : 29 .

10 . R . Deu t sche , Boys town , and D. M assey , F l ex ib l e sex i sm, in Environment and

Planning D; Society and Space 9 1991).

1 1. F o r e x a m p l e , L i n d a M c D o w e l l, W o m e n , g e n d e r a n d t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n o f s p a c e , i n

D e r e k G r e g o r y a n d R e x W a l f o r d , e d i t o r s ,

Horizons in Human Geography

( M a c -

m i l l a n , 1 9 8 9 ) ; J o s B o y s, W o m e n a n d p u b l i c s p a ce i n M a t r ix , Making Space:

Women and the Man Made Environment (Pluto , 1984) .

12 . Gr i se lda Po llock , M odern i ty and spaces o f f emin in i ty , Vision and Difference:

Femininity and Histories of Ar t (Rou t l edge , 1988) .

Documents

Janet Wolff_the Real City the Discursive City the Disappearing City_Postmodernism and Urban Sociology