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"There's always people around to help". A study of worldviews, social practices, and autonomy in Freetown Christiania

Amado-Blanco Gonzalez, David LU (2022) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20222
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Sustainability science has recently seen a growth of literature focused on individuals’ “inner dimensions” as a vehicle for transformative social change, an approach argued to be too individualistic. This thesis fits between both excessively structural and individualistic models of social transformation by framing inner dimensions into a theory of social change through collective action. Christiania was chosen as a case study of an occupied space to probe into the interactions between material and symbolic work. Through semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I found that the expanded sense of community and the co-operative habitus enable a degree of social experimentation which allows the establishment of practices... (More)
Sustainability science has recently seen a growth of literature focused on individuals’ “inner dimensions” as a vehicle for transformative social change, an approach argued to be too individualistic. This thesis fits between both excessively structural and individualistic models of social transformation by framing inner dimensions into a theory of social change through collective action. Christiania was chosen as a case study of an occupied space to probe into the interactions between material and symbolic work. Through semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I found that the expanded sense of community and the co-operative habitus enable a degree of social experimentation which allows the establishment of practices following alternative worldviews. The introduction of neoliberal worldviews and other pressures caused by conflicts with the state threaten this. I call for more research on the ways that autonomous spaces serve as laboratories for communal ways of living and grounding alternative worldviews. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Amado-Blanco Gonzalez, David LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20222
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Sustainability science, inner dimensions, interstitial spaces, urban squatting, social practices
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2022:057
language
English
id
9102213
date added to LUP
2022-10-25 15:28:22
date last changed
2022-10-25 15:28:22
@misc{9102213,
  abstract     = {{Sustainability science has recently seen a growth of literature focused on individuals’ “inner dimensions” as a vehicle for transformative social change, an approach argued to be too individualistic. This thesis fits between both excessively structural and individualistic models of social transformation by framing inner dimensions into a theory of social change through collective action. Christiania was chosen as a case study of an occupied space to probe into the interactions between material and symbolic work. Through semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I found that the expanded sense of community and the co-operative habitus enable a degree of social experimentation which allows the establishment of practices following alternative worldviews. The introduction of neoliberal worldviews and other pressures caused by conflicts with the state threaten this. I call for more research on the ways that autonomous spaces serve as laboratories for communal ways of living and grounding alternative worldviews.}},
  author       = {{Amado-Blanco Gonzalez, David}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{"There's always people around to help". A study of worldviews, social practices, and autonomy in Freetown Christiania}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}