Przestrzeń społeczna małego miasta w Polsce środkowej: przykład Głowna i Strykowa

Abstract

W artykule zaprezentowano dwa sposoby postępowania badawczego przy analizowaniu przestrzeni społecznej. Pierwszy z nich nawiązuje do obiektywnych studiów nad środowiskiem geograficznym, zaś drugi eksponuje podejście humanistyczne w interpretacji zjawisk przestrzennych. Zamierzeniem autorów było wykazanie komplementarności obu metod analitycznych. Weryfikacji poddano hipotezę, że przestrzeń małego miasta jest zróżnicowana społecznie, ale nie występują tutaj tak silne kontrasty, jak w dużych aglomeracjach.

Field study with a view to analyse social differentiation of the space in two small towns Głowno and Stryków in Central Poland was conducted in 1996 and 1997. The study was of scientific and didactic nature. The participants were the students of the second year of Geography of Tourism and Hotel Management. Unemployment, poverty and criminality can be listed amongst the most fundamental social problems. We decided to focus in our studies on the areas which are differentiated from physiognomic and spatial point of view. The studies were conducted in the form of direct interview with the inhabitants of the identified areas and at the same time included the analysis of statistical data. The interview was open, without any questionnaire. The advantage of such a method is its flexibility and the fact that it leaves much freedom. It allows to approach everybody in an individual way and allows to conduct each interview individually. The analysis of social problems of Stryków in spatial perspective indicates the combination of poverty, unemployment and criminality. However, we are not able to identify typical pathological areas. Usually they are single buildings or flats. Although Stryków and Głowno are small towns, seemingly uniform, the areas under study show numerous important differences. These differences, however, cannot be considered sharp contrasts as it is the case in big cities.