Study of the Sociospatial Relevance of Traditional Family-Type Settlements:A Case Study based on Tangwei Village in Dongguan
A traditional Chinese settlement is a type of spatial form with rich social connotations,which evolves over a long time.It is subject to the constraints of the hierarchical system and the safeguards of self-organizing construction mechanisms.Traditional Chinese settlements can be divided into four types according to their purpose;namely,geomantic type,ancestral type,karmic type,and divine type.Dongguan City is located in the south-central part of Guangdong Province.The settlements in Dongguan are mainly ancestral family settlements and most have people with a single common surname.In academic circles,there are mature studies on the correlation between family society and settlement space as well as the relationship between social development and the spatial evolution of settlements.However,deep studies on the overall association between spatial localization and society,such as power relationships,differences in social hierarchies,individual characteristics,and the spatial embodiment of daily life are lacking.A case study based on Tangwei village in Dongguan City,Guangdong Province was performed.The spatial unit was adjusted to"household"by the space syntax method to correspond to the social unit of"family".A quantitative description of the spatial agglomeration effect was given and the structural characteristics of spatial units were observed.Significantly,this ameliorated the effects of ambiguous definitions of spatial units,boundaries,and centers in previous studies on traditional settlements.Combined with a multi-level interpretation of historical events,clan development,cultural background,and other aspects,the association modes between social network and spatial structure were described quantitatively and compared comprehensively through social network analysis based on geographic location and spatial structural analysis based on space syntax.The characteristics of traditional settlements are summarized as follows.(1)Structural hierarchical correspondence.Correlation experiments revealed that the social network and spatial structure of traditional family-type settlements were essentially homogeneous.The spatial distribution of settlements reflected the social architecture.The cultural background influenced the spatial layout.The different development statuses among social groups could adapt to differences in the degree of spatial organization.Social functions and individual characteristics were closely related to spatial attributes.However,such correspondence was often conditional and not completely synchronous due to constraints by practical development.(2)Power imbalance.The power relationships among elements in the structure were imbalanced.Social dominance in the colony had a corresponding significant spatial advantage.Furthermore,differences,differentiation and the adjustment of power levels further lead to differences,differentiation and the attribute transfer of spatial quality.For example,the spatial structure of traditional settlements transformed from"monocentric"to a"bicentric"pattern.The concentration and distribution of power and the decentralization of authority and responsibility within the organization were also influenced.(3)Influence of the external environment.Special events gradually affected daily life in society within a certain period by guiding new behaviors,causing spatial variation.Furthermore,cultural concepts influenced the logic of spatial construction.Under the comprehensive influence of the regional culture of Guangfu,the foreign culture from the Central Plains,and the neighbouring culture of Hakka,Tangwei Village formed a settlement system by adapting to the region and reflecting local cultural characteristics,with the spatial expression reflecting the implicit qualities of regional immigrants and the defensive spatial measures having Hakka influences.Additionally,the geographic environment,economic changes,and other factors all influenced the social space construction of the settlement in multiple senses.Tangwei Village represents a spatial settlement pattern for single-surname social groups in the Dongguan area.It was formed based on lineages and is dominated by Guangfu culture.In this study,the transformation modes of"correspondence","variation",and"difference"in social spaces of family-type settlements were summarized and deduced.It is expected to provide new ideas and methods to continue and revitalize local traditional settlements.
traditional settlementssocial spacesocial networkspace syntaxspatial structureassociation mechanisms
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