DE-RE-BORD - Socio-spatial transformations in German-Polish 'interstices'. Practices of debordering and rebordering

尽管对边境地区的研究相当多，但到目前为止，对边境地区社会空间转型过程如何展开知之甚少。此外，大多数边界研究对空间理论的构建贡献不大。该项目旨在解决这一研究缺口：其目的是调查社会空间转型过程，即自2007年边境开放至今，在波兰-德国边境地区的选择中，当地话语的转变以及与空间相关的思维，行为和居民和当地行动者的流动模式的转变。我们认为，由于物理上的破坏过程，跨越边界变得流行起来，而与此同时，文化空间继续存在于边界的两侧。此外，我们假设在宏观层面上取消国家边界可能会带来重新边界的做法，例如在微观层面上建立“边界”（例如，在竖立围栏，安装警报系统等方面）。在这种背景下，首要的经验问题是社会空间转型过程可以被识别，即在“间隙”出现的程度上，在多大程度上可以观察到无序和重新边界的过程，它们如何相互关联，如何描述和系统化。该项目试图通过关注当地话语以及居民和当地行动者的知识和实践的转变来回答这个问题。关于实践，流动模式以及材料的边界或重新边界将进行审查。为了进行详细的分析，将通过可视化方法（例如视频行走，混合映射）使当前的移动性和物质性可见。理论问题是如何将边境地区社会空间转型过程的实证结果概念化，从而使交际建构主义及其对空间理论、行动者网络理论和流动性概念的影响富有成果。研究团队由社会学和地理学学者组成，在边境地区研究、空间理论、视觉方法和混合制图等实证研究方法方面具有丰富的经验。

Although there is considerable research on border regions, so far only little is known about how socio-spatial transformation processes in border regions have unfolded. Furthermore, most border studies have contributed little to spatial theory-building. The project intends to address this research gap: The aim is to investigate socio-spatial transformation processes, i.e. transformations in local discourses as well as transformations in space-related thinking, acting and mobility patterns of residents and local actors in a selection of Polish-German border regions since the opening of the border in 2007 until the present days. We assume that due to physical debordering processes crossing the border has become popular, whereas at the same time cultural spaces continue to exist on either side of the border. Furthermore, we assume that the removal of a national border on the macro-level may bring about practices of rebordering such as the erection of "borders" on the micro-level (e.g. in terms of erecting fences, installing alarm systems, etc.). Against this background the overarching empirical question is which socio-spatial transformation processes can be identified, i.e. in how far "interstices" emerge, in how far debordering and rebordering processes can be observed, how they are interrelated, how they can be described and systematised. The project seeks to answer the question by focusing on transformations in local discourses as well as in the knowledge and practices of residents and local actors. Regarding the practices, mobility patterns as well as materialities of debordering or rebordering will be examined. For detailed analyses, the mobilities and materialities in the present days will be made visible by visual methods (e.g. video-walkings, hybrid mappings). The theoretical question is how the empirical results on socio-spatial transformation processes in border regions can be conceptualised, whereby communicative constructivism with its implications for spatial theory, actor-network-theory, and concepts of mobility will be made fruitful. The research team comprises scholars from sociology and geography being highly experienced in the research on border regions, in spatial theories, and in empirical research methods including visual methods and hybrid mapping.