Abstract: | The main idea to be developed throughout our study is that the social world can be represented through a multitude of discourses of space and in place. To this purpose, we start from Hall’s theory (1966) of “culturally defined personal space” and continue by tracing the roots and evolution of sociopetal spaces (eating & drinking places, meeting places, rest areas, indoor recreation/entertainment spaces) by comparison with sociofugal spaces (waiting rooms, smoker’s rooms, VIP rooms etc.) that encourage, respectively, discourage social interaction in Romania.
Based on “the situatedness of signs” (Scollon and Scollon, 2003:viii) in enclosed spaces and the adoption of globalizing naming fashions, we intend to find a plausible explanation for the gradual replacement of culture-specific elements in Romanian urban environments and the emergence of new forms (cafés, pubs, clubhouses and malls), felt as emblematic for their changing realities. |
