'the development of the urban milieu is the capitalist domestication of space'
It is telling that so very few 'revolutionary' currents have failed to even mention urban space in their critique. I suppose this is due in part to our aquisence to the conventions instilled through upbringing and general conditioning, particularly a conditioning within and by the urban environemnt. The urban and suburban environemnt like every other aspect of capitalism is a conscious product of the ruling economic system. It seems an obvious statement but i really wonder how many people actually consciously consider the role of the commodity in shaping the spaces we inhabit.
Every inch of the urban environemnt is designed with our central roles as passive consumer/worker in mind, ease of movement, open spaces for the deployment of troops/resting spaces, architecture which induces submissiveness and dispondancy, palatial and patrolled shopping centres, imposing advertising etc.
Any critique of society in general must include a critique of the urban environment along with every other aspect concrete and abstract of the ruling order of things.
Too true.
Sorry to drag this off subject but i was reading 'Leaving the 20th Century" the other day and noticed in the memberlist of the SI in the back there were only 7 women (and 63 men) who were ever involved with the SI. Any idea why that was?
I had always assumed that there were more women involved in 'radical politics' around that time but obviously not in the SI and come to think of it not much of their theorising focused on gender issues...