Territoriality: A Neglected Sociological Dimension

Abstract

Territoriality, or the attempt to control space, is conceived as a fundamental human activity. Distinguished are four types of territory (viz., public territories, home territories, interactional territories, and body territories), three types of territorial encroachment (viz., violation, invasion, and contamination), and three types of reaction to encroachment (viz., turf defense, insulation, and linguistic collusion). Certain groups are spatially deprived of free territory—that is, the ecological conditions that afford opportunities for idiosyncrasy and expression of desired identities. In response to this absence of free space, spatially deprived groups respond to various kinds of body manipulation, body adornment, and body penetration (i.e., the modification of inner space).