Introduction

Welcome to my blog.  

I will use this site to explore concepts of interior space and spatial design as they intersect with sociological issues.

What is sociology, you may wonder? (For those so inclined, Wikipedia comprehensively explains here.) Given my background in sociology, I would explain the field as the study of anything having to do with society. More specifically, this means taking something seemingly ordinary and taken-for-granted, and then examining its underlying—often macro-level— processes. By studying its systems and relationships, the object or phenomenon of study can yield insights about society within a variety of areas like its economy, politics, history, culture, art, and much more. 

Take clothes, as a generic example. (For the purpose of this blog, I picked a tangible item rather than an intangible thing such as an institution, human interaction, etc.)

What appears on the outside in its bare materiality is an outfit. A sociological perspective on this outfit, however, may look at the style, fabric, and the price, and then see a cultural product, textile technologies, exchange value, capitalist market economy, division of labor, globalization, class, gender, identity, media images, and so on.

My particular interest lies in interior spatial design, which includes the industry of interior architecture and design, as well as the larger culture and past history of society’s approach to its built environment. I am generally more curious about the interior rather than the exterior, although this boundary is not always mutually exclusive. I am not quite sure why, but I think it is because I see the interior as more personal, psychological, and widely relevant, and these aspects raise many intriguing questions. 

Image Source

Image Source

Although disciplines like urban development, environmental studies, or even the sociology of technology touch upon some related issues, this type of focus that I highlight has not been available in my university studies. I do not think there has been much sociological research regarding interior spaces either. I am not even sure how such a study may be conducted, because interior design seems to be a highly interdisciplinary art form while sociology is a social science— how would one approach art in a social-scientific way? Art and science seem to contradict each other on principle, but I know the connection is present wherever there are patterns, trends, or people like Leonardo da Vinci.

Currently, I think that many art and design schools out in the world offer courses that address sociological concerns, but spatial design from the art perspective does not seem to be widely recognized by sociologists yet. Moreover, my understanding is that interior design is fairly new as an established profession. (The American Society of Interior Designers is less than 50 years old.) The sociology of interior spaces is therefore a subject that I will research on my own, and which I may pursue more in-depth later on as I see how it goes. 

Also, interior design is distinct from and more complex than interior decorating (which is often what people think about when given the term “Interior Design,” in addition to the appearance of interior decorating projects in mainstream media). I recognize this difference, but I anticipate that I will include the issue of interior decorating in my blog here and there since it is still relevant to the way people use and experience their interior spaces.

Overall, I will approach this subject in my blog as a pastiche of observations, questions, and analyses. I would also like to draw upon classic sociologists and intellectuals like Georg Simmel and Jean Baudrillard who present some valuable ideas regarding the human use of space. My inspiration comes from my coursework, my own observations, independent research, and random findings. I am a student and claim no expertise in the matter-- I am just learning more about the world in front of me and would like to share my discoveries with other designers, artists, sociologists, and curious people in general, and I hope to have a broad audience.

Thank you for visiting.