“More”? How Store Owners and Their Businesses Build Neighborhood
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OFFERING “MORE”? HOW STORE OWNERS AND THEIR BUSINESSES BUILD NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL LIFE Vorgelegt von MA Soz.-Wiss. Anna Marie Steigemann Geboren in München, Deutschland von der Fakultät VI – Planen, Bauen, Umwelt der Technischen Universität Berlin zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktorin der Philosophie in Soziologie - Dr. phil - Genehmigte Dissertation Promotionsausschuss: Vorsitzende: Prof. Dr. Angela Million Gutachterin I: Prof. Dr. Sybille Frank Gutachter II: Prof. Dr. John Mollenkopf Gutachter III: Prof. Dr. Dietrich Henckel Tag der wissenschaftlichen Aussprache: 10. August 2016 Berlin 2017 Author’s Declaration Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis and that this thesis and the work presented in it are my own and have been generated by me as the result of my own original research. In addition, I hereby confirm that the thesis at hand is my own written work and that I have used no other sources and aids other than those indicated. The author herewith confirms that she possesses the copyright rights to all parts of the scientific work, and that the publication will not violate the rights of third parties, in particular any copyright and personal rights of third parties. Where I have used thoughts from external sources, directly or indirectly, published or unpublished, this is always clearly attributed. All passages, which are quoted from publications, the empirical fieldwork, or paraphrased from these sources, are indicated as such, i.e. cited or attributed. The questionnaire and interview transcriptions are attached in the version that is not publicly accessible. This thesis was not submitted in the same or in a substantially similar version, not even partially, to another examination board and was not published elsewhere. Berlin, 12/23/2016 I Acknowledgements Acknowledgements My thanks go to the International Graduate Program “The World in the City” at the Center for Metropolitan Studies at Technical University Berlin as well as to my colleagues and the affiliated professors for providing such an inspiring and stimulating working environment and immense emotional and financial support for the last four years. Secondly, I thank my three advisors, Sybille Frank, John Mollenkopf, and Dietrich Henckel for their manifold support, inspiration, and patience. You brought me back on track whenever I was losing my way or thinking about giving up and you have my deep thanks for that. Thirdly, many other scholars have given me inspiration and support on my long way to this thesis’ final submission: Hartmut Häußermann, John Mollenkopf, Christine Hannemann, and Susanne Frank sparked my love for urban research and introduced me to urban studies and sociology at Humboldt-University and the CUNY Graduate Center. Frank Eckardt, Sybille Frank, Uwe-Jens Walther, Martin Kronauer, Bettina Hamann, Talja Blokland, and Dorothee Brantz employed me while supporting the further development of this thesis. My incredible fellows at the CMS, particularly Emily Bereskin and Christian Haid, gave this work its final (interdisciplinary) direction. Thanks for widening my (research) horizon, inspiring me, helping to reflect on my thoughts and experiences, and bringing forth this project. I learned so much from you, also beyond our common academic work. Particular thanks are also owed to the interview partners, who gave me so much of their time and insights and allowed me to dip into their life-worlds. And last but not least, I’d like to sincerely thank my beloved family and friends, who provided their enormous emotional support and generous rear cover throughout the process. II Content Content Author’s Declaration ................................................................................................................................ I Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ II Content ................................................................................................................................................. III List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................... V 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Research Gap: “The World in the City” and “The World in a Store” ............................................... 4 1.2. Conceptual Framework, Research Design, and Procedure ............................................................ 9 2. The Meso-Level: Social Life and Trade on a Metropolitan Shopping Street ........................................ 12 2.1. The Street’s Physical History ....................................................................................................... 19 2.2. “Trade is Change” – The Street’s Retail History and its Current Changes ..................................... 23 2.3. “This is the free market. We set only the political framework.” The History of Local Urban Renewal ............................................................................................................................................ 31 2.4. “Now we go through a new change, now the employed […] come back”- The Current Gentrification of Karl-Marx-Straße .................................................................................................... 37 2.5. Summary: “The main focus is on the site’s development“ .......................................................... 42 3. Theories of the Ground: The Sensitizing Theoretical Concepts ........................................................... 45 3.1. Sensitizing Concepts I: Third Place and Public Character ............................................................. 48 3.2. Sensitizing Concepts II: Interaction in Semi-Public/ Public Spaces ................................................ 58 3.3. Sensitizing Concepts III: Community Building/ Senses of Belonging ............................................. 68 3.4. Summary and Use of Sensitizing Concepts for the Sampling Process ........................................... 75 4. Realities on the Ground: Sampling Process and Methodology ........................................................... 76 4.1. Theoretical Sampling .................................................................................................................. 76 4.2. Sampling Process ........................................................................................................................ 78 4.3. The Core Sample ........................................................................................................................ 81 4.4. Methodology.............................................................................................................................. 86 4.4.1. Working on the Ground: Grounded Theory Method and Small Social Life Worlds ................ 87 4.4.2. Inquiry Methods: Interviews, Participant Observations, Secondary Material ........................ 93 4.4.3. Design of Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 102 5. Grounding the Social Life Worlds – The Material Space and Social Context of the Case Businesses .. 106 5.1. Organic Store ........................................................................................................................... 106 III Content 5.2. Main Café ................................................................................................................................. 114 5.3. Pharmacy ................................................................................................................................. 123 5.4. Flower Store ............................................................................................................................. 131 5.5. Butcher .................................................................................................................................... 141 5.6. Additional Cases and Conclusion .............................................................................................. 148 6. Businesses as Spaces that Generate “More”: The Socio-Spatial Features for “talking about everything,” “coming down,” and “staying in touch”........................................................................... 171 6.1. “The idea was to create a meeting point” - Neutral Grounds or Inclusive Publicness ................. 173 6.2. “We are committed to all and we also want the store to be for all” -Businesses as Levelers...... 180 6.3. “They are pulling my leg a lot” – The Conversations .................................................................. 186 6.4. ”For quality we need to go to another neighborhood, this is really difficult here. “ – The Businesses’ Accessibility and Accommodation ................................................................................. 196 6.5. “We really have lots of regulars.” – On the Role of Regular Customers ..................................... 202 6.6. “Stability” and “Reliance” allowing for “More”: The Businesses’ Appeal and Profile .................. 212 6.7. Businesses as “Male Playful Places” - Businesses for “Self-Confident Women” ......................... 220 6.8. Home away from home? A Synthesis of the Offered “More” and the Businesses’ Third Place Features .........................................................................................................................................