Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society?
This article examines the contemporary industrial semiotic landscape in the town of Velenje, Slovenia, to determine the (positive or negative) collective imaginaries and discourses about industry in the local community. To this end, the semiotic landscape is mapped for signs and symbols of past and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/2/49 |
| _version_ | 1797443709971726336 |
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| author | David Bole Peter Kumer Primož Gašperič Jani Kozina Primož Pipan Jernej Tiran |
| author_facet | David Bole Peter Kumer Primož Gašperič Jani Kozina Primož Pipan Jernej Tiran |
| author_sort | David Bole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article examines the contemporary industrial semiotic landscape in the town of Velenje, Slovenia, to determine the (positive or negative) collective imaginaries and discourses about industry in the local community. To this end, the semiotic landscape is mapped for signs and symbols of past and present industry, 33 randomly selected short interviews are conducted to understand the residents’ attitudes towards industrial symbols and industrial development in general, and a content analysis of official strategic documents is conducted to determine how industry is represented by officials and whether there are efforts to reimage the town. We found that the industrial past and present are well represented by industrial symbols and are a matter of pride and collective identity for the residents. However, the industrial tradition is hardly represented in official documents: Influenced by the prevailing post-industrial discourses, local authorities have begun to construct new territorial identities in order to increase the town’s attractiveness and economic growth. Currently, both ideas seem to coexist in Velenje. We argue that industrial symbols can become a reference point to create an alternative perception of a modern consumer society based on past industrial values, such as collective well-being, solidarity, and equality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:00:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a25f417477214eeb87e749165c29201d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:00:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-a25f417477214eeb87e749165c29201d2023-11-30T21:54:16ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982022-03-011224910.3390/soc12020049Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society?David Bole0Peter Kumer1Primož Gašperič2Jani Kozina3Primož Pipan4Jernej Tiran5Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, 13 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaScience Directorate, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, 16 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaResearch Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, 13 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaResearch Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, 13 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaResearch Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, 13 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaResearch Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, 13 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaThis article examines the contemporary industrial semiotic landscape in the town of Velenje, Slovenia, to determine the (positive or negative) collective imaginaries and discourses about industry in the local community. To this end, the semiotic landscape is mapped for signs and symbols of past and present industry, 33 randomly selected short interviews are conducted to understand the residents’ attitudes towards industrial symbols and industrial development in general, and a content analysis of official strategic documents is conducted to determine how industry is represented by officials and whether there are efforts to reimage the town. We found that the industrial past and present are well represented by industrial symbols and are a matter of pride and collective identity for the residents. However, the industrial tradition is hardly represented in official documents: Influenced by the prevailing post-industrial discourses, local authorities have begun to construct new territorial identities in order to increase the town’s attractiveness and economic growth. Currently, both ideas seem to coexist in Velenje. We argue that industrial symbols can become a reference point to create an alternative perception of a modern consumer society based on past industrial values, such as collective well-being, solidarity, and equality.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/2/49semiotic landscapelocal identityidentity politicsreimaginggeography |
| spellingShingle | David Bole Peter Kumer Primož Gašperič Jani Kozina Primož Pipan Jernej Tiran Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? Societies semiotic landscape local identity identity politics reimaging geography |
| title | Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? |
| title_full | Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? |
| title_fullStr | Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? |
| title_short | Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? |
| title_sort | clash of two identities what happens to industrial identity in a post industrial society |
| topic | semiotic landscape local identity identity politics reimaging geography |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/2/49 |
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