Räume und Identitäten in Grenzregionen. Politiken – Medien – Subjekte

The volume was produced as part of the interdisciplinary research project IDENT2 – Regionalizations as Identity Constructions in Border Areas (2011-2014) at the University of Luxembourg. The contributions represent a continuation and further development of the results of the previous project IDENT – Socio-Cultural Identities and Identity Policies in Luxembourg (2007-2010). The project itself, as well as the anthology, offer a practical-theoretical perspective. It is assumed that “spaces and identities emerge from social practices” (p. 9). Building on a combination of WERLEN's social geography of everyday regionalizations together with more identity and difference-theoretical influences of New Cultural Geography, the authors examine how spaces and identities are made daily. For this purpose, the Foucault concept of discourse is mainly used. The main research areas on which the project was based include “(1) a power-critical perspective on spaces and identities that focuses in particular on politics and standardizations that are effective and negotiated in construction processes; (2) a media-oriented perspective on spaces and identities that understands media as constructors and projection surfaces as well as themselves as (negotiation) spaces; and (3) a subject-centered perspective that examines the creation of space and identity constructions in the course of everyday cultural practices” (p. 11).

The edited collection begins with a thematic outline by Christian WILLE and Rachel RECKINGER, who coordinated the project IDENT2 – Regionalizations as Identity Constructions in Border Areas. They also briefly summarize the creation of the anthology and explain the composition of the working groups in the project.

This is followed by an overview of the theoretical and methodical approach to borders, spaces and identities. Martin DOLL and Johanna M. GELBERG deal with the “establishment, crossing and extension of borders.” They begin their contribution with an explanation of the abstract concept of “border,” which can be thought of as a line, but also as a (threshold) space, but which can also be substantiated on different levels (e.g. territorial, social, aesthetic). Looking at Luxembourg, the authors quote FLUSSER (1996), who writes that the whole of Luxembourg is a question of borders. Christian WILLE and Markus HESSE present in “Räume: Zugänge und Untersuchungsperspektiven” (Spaces: Approaches and Research Perspectives) the theoretical perspective on space, which is handled as a question of its social construction processes. The “identification processes” on which the anthology is based are explained by Sonja KMEC and Rachel RECKINGER. At the end of this chapter, Christian WILLE offers an insight into the process of the creation of the anthology by presenting the methodology (quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews) as well as the interdisciplinary cooperation.

This is followed by three central chapters that use short articles to present the results of the sub-projects that have dealt with the above-mentioned research focus areas. In the topic area “Space and Identity Constructions Through Institutional Practices,” the working group first outlines “the understanding of Foucault’s power analysis along its central axes of sovereignty, discipline and governmentality” (p. 76). Heike MAUER then examines “the ‘problematization’ of prostitution in Luxembourg at the beginning of the 20th century” (p. 81). The fitting title of her contribution is “Zur Konstruktion von Räumen der Un-/Sittlichkeit. Eine machtanalytische Perspektive auf die Problematisierung von Prostitution um 1900” (On the Construction of Spaces of Im-/Morality. A Power Analysis Perspective on the Problematization of Prostitution c. 1900). In his contribution “Burgen als Instrument herrschaftlicher Raumkonstruktion und Repräsentation. Das Beispiel der Grafschaft Vianden” (Castles as Instruments of Hegemonial Space Construction and Representation. The Example of the County of Vianden) Bernhard KREUTZ offers a vivid investigation of the multiple functions of castles in the ruling system of the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. Under the title “Biogas – Macht – Raum. Zur Konstruktion von Energieräumen in Grenzräumen” (Biogas – Power – Space. On the Construction of Energy Regions in Border Areas) Fabian FALLER explains the social practices that create the energy sector situation in the Greater Region. In her contribution “‚Souveränität‘ und ‚Disziplin‘ in Medien. Zum Nutzen von Foucaults Gouvernementalitätstheorie am Beispiel einer Interdiskursanalyse zum Migrationsdiskurs in Luxemburg” (‘Sovereignty’ and ‘Discipline’ in the Media. On the Value of Foucault’s Governmentality Theory: The Example of an Inter-discursive Analysis of the Migration Discourse in Luxembourg) Elene KREUTZER examines the migration discourse in the media for the observation period of 1990 to 2010. The chapter is rounded off by a conclusion in which the authors argue that “political spatial units such as ‘Luxembourg’ or ‘Greater Region’ should not be seen in their static boundary and as definitive places, but rather that the manifold practices of spatial policy that can be subsumed under them should be given much more attention.” (p. 123).

In the fourth chapter “Raum- und Identitätskonstruktionen durch mediale Praktiken” (Space and Identity Constructions Through Media Practices), the authors begin by explaining their approach to the exploration of “representations and projections.” They answer the following questions: “What roles do national borders have in the 20th century? Have they disappeared after the Schengen Agreement or have they been replaced by other types of borders? What other material and immaterial borders are apparent in the investigation?” (p. 139). In her contribution “Mehrsprachige Werbung und Regionalisierung in Luxemburg” (Multilingual Advertising and Regionalization in Luxembourg) Julia de BRES concludes that multilingual practices and references to borders in the data corpus do little to construct a transnational region. Paul di FELICE deals with “Die künstlerischen und kulturellen Einsätze der für den Kunstpreis Robert Schuman ausgewählten Werke: Ausstellungs- und Publikationsräume – Orte der Verwandlung und des künstlerischen und kulturellen Zwischenraumes?” (The Artistic and Cultural Uses of the Works Selected for the Robert Schuman Art Prize: Exhibition and Publication Spaces – Places of Transformation and of Artistic and Cultural Interspace). He comes to the conclusion that the prize partly succeeds in building new transcultural bridges. In the essay “Die Schwelle von Ausstellungsorten: Zugang zur Welt der Kultur” (The Threshold of Exhibition Venues: Access to the World of Culture), Céline SCHALL states that above all the strategic aspect of the museum’s mediation work (the threshold is regarded here as one of the indicators) must be thought through. In “Literatur des Zwischenraums. Die mehrsprachigen Inszenierungen des Verlags ultimomondo” (Literature of the Inbetween. The Multilingual Stagings of the Publisher ultimomondo) Till DEMBECK questions “the linguistic and spatial boundary of literary communication” (p. 186). Luc BELLING’s essay “’Mir gesinn eis dono op facebook’ [‘Wir sehen uns später auf facebook’, eigene Übersetzung] - Mediale (Selbst-)Stazenierungen Luxemburgischer Jugendlicher als virtuelle Identitätskonstruktionen” (“Mir gesinn eis dono op facebook” [We’ll See Each Other Later on Facebook] – (Self-)Stagings of Luxembourg Teenagers in Social Media as Virtual Identity Constructions) deals with identity-forming self-representations in the context of digital social networks. Sonja KMEC and Agnès PRÜM both deal with “gas stations as in-between spaces.” The first author deals with “practices and narratives,” while the second author’s contribution focuses on “transfiguration.” In the conclusions, the authors emphasize that “media of representation, seen as contact zones, indeed make it possible to open ‘passages’ between different description levels” (p. 138).

In the fifth topic area, “Space and Identity Constructions Through Everyday Cultural Practices” are examined. The team of authors begins with an introduction to “subjectifications and subjectivizations.” Subsequently, Rachel RECKINGER analyses “everyday practices of sustainable nutrition from the perspective of spatial identification” based on a polysemic concept of sustainability in the field of nutrition and points out governmental modes of reflexivity in the field of nutrition in border regions. In the essay “GenderRäume” (Gender Spaces) Julia Maria ZIMMERMANN and Christel BALTES-LÖHR write that it can be posited that “the boundaries between male and female subject positions in public space become blurred, creating a deconstructivist and diverse encounter borderland” (p. 282). “Identitätskonstruktionen und Regionalisierung am Beispiel des Totengedenkens im Treverergebiet (2./3. Jahrhundert n. Chr.): Familienidentitäten auf Grabmonumenten in Arlon” (Identity Constructions and Regionalization Using the Example of Remembrance of the Dead in the Treveri Region (2nd/3rd century A.D.): Family Identities on Tomb Monuments in Arlon) is the focus of Andrea BINSFELD’s essay. She shows that there was a creative approach to Roman guidelines in the area. These therefore constituted offers and not binding standards. Laure CAREGARI writes in her study of “Arbeiterkolonien und ihre Bewohner/-innen: Raumkonstruktionen und kollektive Subjektkonstitution” (Worker Colonies and Their Inhabitants: Space Constructions and Collective Subject Constitution), that the subculture of a more comprehensive working culture “generates the place of the colony as an expression of collective discipline through equality and materiality” (p. 309). In the essay “Periurbanes Luxembourg. Definition, Positionierung und diskursive Konstruktion suburbaner Räume an der Grenze zwischen Stadt und Land” (Periurban Luxembourg. Definition, Positioning and Discursive Construction of Suburban Spaces on the Border Between City and Country) Markus HESSE confirms the hybridization of spatial connections. Eva Maria KLOS and Benno SÖNKE SCHULZ, in “Das Erinnern an den Zweiten Weltkrieg in Luxemburg und den Grenzregionen seiner drei Nachbarstaaten” (Remembering the Second World War in Luxembourg and the Border Regions of its Three Neighboring States), once again emphasize the volatility of identity concepts. In the text “Beyond Luxembourg. Raum- und Identitätskonstruktionen im Kontext grenzüberschreitender Wohnmigration” (Beyond Luxembourg. Spacial and Identity Constructions in the Context of Cross-Border Residential Migration) Christian WILLE, Gregor SCHNUER and Elisabeth BOESEN come to the cautious conclusion that “cross-border practices have not yet had the general effect of producing a homogeneous perception of cross-border residential migration” (p. 346). Heinz SIEBURG and Britta WEIMANN analyze “Sprachliche Identifizierungen im luxemburgisch-deutschen Grenzraum” (Linguistic Identifications in the Luxembourg-German Border Area). They note that Luxembourgish has a high communicative and symbolic value for its speakers, “which means that speaking a German dialect in Luxembourg is not considered adequate by all speakers because of its smaller communicative scope and lower status” (p. 361 f.). As in the previous chapters, some conclusions are drawn towards the end, mainly from the constructivist-relational perspective of the authors’ subjects.

The volume ends with a look to the future by Markus HESSE, who, using a citation from the Luxemburger Wort (daily newspaper), addresses Luxembourg as “the Singapore of the West” and discusses the following additional questions “(1) What are the consequences of a broader perspective that goes beyond the space of investigation in this volume, namely to the global level? (2) What role does the concept of mobility play in guiding knowledge, namely the mobility of people, goods, ideas, information and also economic values? To what extent do these currents contribute to the constitution of spaces?” (p. 381).