Sharing public space across difference: attunement and the contested burdens of choreographing encounter

Abstract

Abstract This paper concerns how claims to public space are negotiated between differently embodied subjects, and how forms of bodily articulation shape capacities for sharing space. Drawing on a study of outdoor access practices, entailing mobile video ethnographies with walkers and cyclists, it explores the corporeal mechanisms through which the entitlements of differently mobile subjects are asserted, resisted, circumscribed or accepted in the time-spaces of bodily encounter. How the signalling of 'responsible' and 'irresponsible' conduct influences how bodies are allowed to move in relation to other bodies is the focus. Mobilisations of speed, affective and sensory attunement, and techniques of bodily articulation, were found to be a key in the disciplining of cycling and walking bodies. This paper highlights the central role of attunement to, and concession of, hybrid subjectivity in the choreography of encounters, and, moreover, how related burdens of orchestrating coexistence are shared and struggled over amongst different publics. It demonstrates that whilst greater attunement can enable differently mobile subjects to develop a reciprocal choreography, expectations of such attunement can also undermine the ability to share space if not met. This paper thus raises the dilemma of when to accept or extend the limits of attunement in facilitating coexistence in public space. Cet article examine la négociation des revendications du droit à l'espace public entre des personnes de différentes incarnations ainsi que l'effet de l'articulation corporelle sur la capacité de partager l'espace. Il examine les mécanismes corporels à travers desquels les droits des personnes de mobilité différente se voient affirmés, résistés, circonscrits, ou acceptés dans les espace-temps de rencontre corporelle en tirant d'une étude sur les moyens de se déplacer en plein air à la base des ethnographies vidéo effectuées par des piétons et des cyclistes. Le centre d'intérêt de notre étude est de comprendre comment les conduites «responsables» et «non-responsables» sont marquées et comment cet acte de marquer la conduite influence les termes qui gouvernent le déplacement des corps par rapport aux autres corps. Des mobilisations de vitesse, de sensibilisation affective et sensorielle, et de techniques d'articulation corporelle se révèlent comme des points clés dans les processus de discipliner les corps qui se déplacent à pied ou en vélo. L'article souligne le rôle central de la sensibilisation à la subjectivité hybride dans la chorégraphie des rencontres ainsi que comment les fardeaux reliés de l'orchestration de la coexistence sont partagés et contestés parmi de différents publics. Il démontre qu'une sensibilisation plus développée peut favoriser une chorégraphie réciproque parmi des sujets de mobilité différente bien que l'expectation d'une telle sensibilisation non réalisée puisse miner la capacité de partager l'espace. Au final, l'article pose donc un dilemme de choisir entre accepter ou élargir les limites de la sensibilisation pour faciliter la coexistence dans l'espace public. Este artículo se analiza como las reclamas al espacio público están negociados entre sujetos encarnados diferentemente, y como formas de articulación corporales se afectan capacidades por compartir espacio. Llevando de una investigación de practicas de acceso a la afuera, de etnografías de video móviles con peatones y ciclistas, se explora los mecanismos corporales del cual los derechos de sujetos de movilidades diferentes están afirmados, resistidos, restringidos o aceptados en los espacio-tiempos de encuentros encarnados. El enfoque es cómo la indicación de conducto 'responsable' y 'irresponsable' se influye la manera en que cuerpos pueden moverse en relación a otros cuerpos. Movilizaciones de rapidez, armonización afectiva y sensorial, y técnicas de articulación corporal, fueran descubiertos ser clave en la disciplina de cuerpos caminantes y ciclistas. El artículo se destaca el papel central de la armonización a, y la concesión de, subjetividades hibridas en la representación de encuentros, y más bien, como las cargas relacionadas de orquestar la coexistencia están compartidas y discutidas entre públicos diferentes. Se demuestra que mientras la armonización más grande se posibilita que sujetos de diferentes movilidades pueden desarrollar una coreografía recíproca, las expectaciones de aquel armonización también pueden socavar la capacidad de compartir espacio si no está cumplido. Así el artículo se levanta el dilema de cuando aceptar o extender los límites de armonización en facilitar la coexistencia en el espacio público. Keywords: mobilitypublic spaceoutdoor recreationthe bodyattunementmountain bikingKeywords: mobilitéespace publicrécréation en plein airle corpssensibilisationvélo tout terrainKeywords: movilidadespacio públicorecreo de afuerael cuerpoarmonizaciónciclismo de montaña Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Scottish Government's 'Environment—Land Use and Rural Stewardship' Research Programme, 2006–2011. The author is very grateful to the anonymous referees for their thoughtful comments. Notes 1. This perhaps converges on a key point of Laurier and Philo (Citation2006), but from the opposite direction, who argue to leave space for the possibility of genuine feelings of responsibly to underlay what to some may seem superficial shows of responsibility. Learning to communicate in such ways is also reminiscent of Sennett's (Citation1977) conception of the 'appropriate' expression of feelings in public as a craft, and thus a practice to be learned and refined. 2. The study detected traces of what may be a collective default disposition of guilt amongst mountain bikers stemming from the deviant, outlaw, or at least legally ambiguous, identity that mountain biking practices have predominantly evolved around. 3. The Code does not allow for circumstances in which a faster body needs to pass a slower body from behind. There is no requirement for a slower walker to concede to a faster subject approaching from the rear, and therefore no way of getting past if they choose to block passage. 4. On one hand, the performance of a particular mobile subjectivity must be conceded when the simultaneous realisation of all hybrid becomings and desires is not possible. On the other hand, intersubjective attunement is needed to be able to sense, recognise and express the recognition of movements and actual/desired experiences of differently embodied others. 5. Some walkers too convey desires of having a certain sharedness of experience with those they meet in public space. Yet, this seems to be a sharedness that is progressively challenged as forms of hybridity between the bodies and technologies of outdoor recreation become increasingly differentiated. This can lead to a commensurate discomfort related to the prospect of uncertainty or encountering the unknown. 6. This can also be seen as a trading of the law and custom favouring walkers with the agency of speed favouring cyclists. 7. This is particularly so, given that greater empathies can exist between differently embodied subjects than are often visible to each other. 8. In the world of outdoor representative and governing bodies, mountain bikers are notorious in their reluctance to support or become involved in more formalised institutional practices, such as sitting on local or national access forums and operating a widely supported representative body. It seems that, in general, mountain bikers prefer to enact their rights of outdoor access directly, 'voting with their wheels'.