Vandalism as a Symbolic Act in Free Zones
(1992) p.71-87- Abstract
- The concept of vandalism is analyzed as a symbolic act. An analysis of vandalism
from a situational-positivistic, or a motivational-psychological, approach hardly gives
an understanding of vandalism as a meaningful individual and social act. A humanistic
and cultural perspective can supply ways to understand a nonprescribed behavior
such as vandalism. The original meaning of vandalism is plundering and laying
waste of a civilization's symbols and environment. This appropriation of physical environment
also occurs in the industrialized societies' urban environment and then
often is perceived as motiveless. "Free zones" develop in societies where norms
and obligations... (More) - The concept of vandalism is analyzed as a symbolic act. An analysis of vandalism
from a situational-positivistic, or a motivational-psychological, approach hardly gives
an understanding of vandalism as a meaningful individual and social act. A humanistic
and cultural perspective can supply ways to understand a nonprescribed behavior
such as vandalism. The original meaning of vandalism is plundering and laying
waste of a civilization's symbols and environment. This appropriation of physical environment
also occurs in the industrialized societies' urban environment and then
often is perceived as motiveless. "Free zones" develop in societies where norms
and obligations are neutralized. Vandalism is nonprescribed in that it appears in
these free zones where norms, obligations, utility, and common sense are switched
off. The environment is "marked" by damaging or destroying objects to change the
message of the physical milieu. Vandalism is a gesture of "negative honor," which
reflects a complex of feelings. Vandalism comprises two sides of an autonomy problem:
to be isolated from an unwanted membership (juvenile vandalism) and to be
free of an unwanted outside position (adult vandalism). An essential question is
which methodological and theoretical concepts a researcher in the social sciences
should use to discover the rationality of vandalism and to make it comprehensible. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/802027
- author
- Roos, Hans-Edvard LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 1992
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- sociologi, sociology, symbolic, vandalism, free zone, negative honor, autonomy, humanistic perspective., history
- host publication
- Vandalism: Research, Prevention and Social Policy
- editor
- Harriet H., Christensen ; Darryll J., Johnson and Martha H., Brookes
- pages
- 71 - 87
- publisher
- Seattle: US Dept. of Agruculture / Pacific Northwest Research Station and University of Washington.
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 6127aba8-81f5-45bd-9fb0-d47545bdb671 (old id 802027)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 10:28:19
- date last changed
- 2019-02-05 12:34:55
@inbook{6127aba8-81f5-45bd-9fb0-d47545bdb671,
abstract = {{The concept of vandalism is analyzed as a symbolic act. An analysis of vandalism<br/><br>
from a situational-positivistic, or a motivational-psychological, approach hardly gives<br/><br>
an understanding of vandalism as a meaningful individual and social act. A humanistic<br/><br>
and cultural perspective can supply ways to understand a nonprescribed behavior<br/><br>
such as vandalism. The original meaning of vandalism is plundering and laying<br/><br>
waste of a civilization's symbols and environment. This appropriation of physical environment<br/><br>
also occurs in the industrialized societies' urban environment and then<br/><br>
often is perceived as motiveless. "Free zones" develop in societies where norms<br/><br>
and obligations are neutralized. Vandalism is nonprescribed in that it appears in<br/><br>
these free zones where norms, obligations, utility, and common sense are switched<br/><br>
off. The environment is "marked" by damaging or destroying objects to change the<br/><br>
message of the physical milieu. Vandalism is a gesture of "negative honor," which<br/><br>
reflects a complex of feelings. Vandalism comprises two sides of an autonomy problem:<br/><br>
to be isolated from an unwanted membership (juvenile vandalism) and to be<br/><br>
free of an unwanted outside position (adult vandalism). An essential question is<br/><br>
which methodological and theoretical concepts a researcher in the social sciences<br/><br>
should use to discover the rationality of vandalism and to make it comprehensible.}},
author = {{Roos, Hans-Edvard}},
booktitle = {{Vandalism: Research, Prevention and Social Policy}},
editor = {{Harriet H., Christensen and Darryll J., Johnson and Martha H., Brookes}},
keywords = {{sociologi; sociology; symbolic; vandalism; free zone; negative honor; autonomy; humanistic perspective.; history}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{71--87}},
publisher = {{Seattle: US Dept. of Agruculture / Pacific Northwest Research Station and University of Washington.}},
title = {{Vandalism as a Symbolic Act in Free Zones}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5546900/802127.pdf}},
year = {{1992}},
}