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Papers by Greta W Werner

Research paper thumbnail of Housing movements: From solidaristic discourse to solidaristic fields

Political geography, Feb 1, 2024

This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to ... more This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to scholarship on solidarity and field theory to contribute to the conceptual development of ‘people power strategies’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021) related to housing. It takes up Madden and Marcuse's (2016) call for a focus on people and politics and offers a case study of Viennese housing to show an example where such a focus has found success. It argues that Vienna's high percentage of socially housed households was developed and is maintained through deliberate and constant work by actors in the social housing field. It shows the types of ‘social skill’ (Fligstein, 2001) that contribute to a strong social housing sector in Vienna. The paper develops the concept of solidaristic social skill as a ‘people power strategy’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021). Solidaristic discourse works against the stigmatisation which so often divides nascent housing movements.

Research paper thumbnail of Boundaries between private and public in the construction of limits on social housing in Sydney, Australia

Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and ... more Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and undeserving. This is a two-way process, by which withdrawal of public funds creates poverty, and the stigmatisation of poverty also justifies withdrawal of public funds. However, not only does this process create and recreate poverty, but it is also used to justify capitalist exploitation of specific places. The relationship between the public and private spheres is shifting, and the change has spatial characteristics. This chapter aims to explore the construction of boundaries between private and public housing in Sydney, Australia, including the liminal spaces represented by community housing. Despite having a strong public sector and a functioning social housing programme since the Commonwealth Housing Commission was formed in 1944, at 4.7% Sydney has a very low rate of social housing. The construction of boundaries between private and public is constantly maintained in the housing sector, despite other sectors such as health and education being overwhelmingly accepted as public responsibilities. This ensures a low rate of social housing. The argument is based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2018 with professionals working within social housing provision or connected to the field through their advocacy efforts or supporting role (e.g., finance). It interrogates symbolic and material boundaries and the connections between them to show their spatial effects. An analysis of the interviews shows that boundaries limiting social housing in Sydney are maintained to reinforce individualism in Sydney’s housing field and safeguard real estate as a private financial asset.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Social Housing in Three Areas of Practice

XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018), Jul 18, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Housing movements: From solidaristic discourse to solidaristic fields

Political Geography, 2024

This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to ... more This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to scholarship on solidarity and field theory to contribute to the conceptual development of ‘people power strategies’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021) related to housing. It takes up Madden and Marcuse's (2016) call for a focus on people and politics and offers a case study of Viennese housing to show an example where such a focus has found success. It argues that Vienna's high percentage of socially housed households was developed and is maintained through deliberate and constant work by actors in the social housing field. It shows the types of ‘social skill’ (Fligstein, 2001) that contribute to a strong social housing sector in Vienna. The paper develops the concept of solidaristic social skill as a ‘people power strategy’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021). Solidaristic discourse works against the stigmatisation which so often divides nascent housing movements.

Research paper thumbnail of Implications of Marx and Foucault for Social Research on Health

This paper compares Marxian theories with those of Foucault (1975) with regard to the sociology o... more This paper compares Marxian theories with those of Foucault (1975) with regard to the sociology of illness and health. In particular, the differences between them will be highlighted to show how each theoretical position informs the way that health, illness and the medical sector is understood and the impact this has on research. Each theory provides a different lens through which particular features will be visible to the researcher. Marxian and Foucauldian theory are both concerned with the operation of power and the effect this has on social structures. A Marxian analysis of the medical sector highlights the ways that the medical sector supports the capitalist mode of production and the problems involved with the commodification of health (eg Richards 1991, Nelkin and Tancredi 1989, Saks 1995). Foucault’s structural theory of power explains the organisation of societies in terms of internalised disciplines that are based on knowledge produced through the objectification and surveillance of individuals (Foucault 1975). The Foucauldian view highlights the complicity of patients with the medical profession (eg Lupton 2012:113). Both views can be used to critique the biomedical model of healthcare, but the economic inequalities structuring the healthcare sector are more easily explained by a Marxian view (Willis 1994).

Research paper thumbnail of Self and Society in Durkheim, Weber and Goffman

This essay discusses the contributions of Durkheim, Weber and Goffman to the historical developme... more This essay discusses the contributions of Durkheim, Weber and Goffman to the historical development of sociological theory in which sociologists interests are shown to move from scientific enquiry to a focus on social action, its meaning and the agency of the individual. A historical survey of movements in sociological theory is provided as a context within which the theorists are placed, showing each theorist's impact and tracing the movement from Durkheim's 'social facts' to the 'social constructions' of symbolic interactionism. Examples of Durkheim's theoretical work are placed within a discussion of positivism in sociological theory and a discussion of subsequent criticism from non-positivist sociologists follows, beginning with Weber. Weber's nuanced and deliberate balance of historical enquiry, observation of patterns in social behaviour and focus on the meaning of this behaviour to the individual (verstehen) in his theoretical work is claimed to be a major innovation in social theory, highlighting the role of individual consciousness and motivation (Kalberg 2005). This leads into a discussion of the focus on the self in the microsociological tradition, of which symbolic interationism is a part (Collins 1994). Though Goffman's theory differs in some respects from symbolic interactionism, his focus on the construction and maintenance of the self places his work in the microsociological tradition (Collins 1994).

Thesis Chapters by Greta W Werner

Research paper thumbnail of Housing Fields: A Comparison of Social Housing across two Areas of Practice

Housing Fields: A Comparison of Social Housing across two Areas of Practice, 2021

The thesis presents a comparative study of the social housing sectors of two capitalist democraci... more The thesis presents a comparative study of the social housing sectors of two capitalist democracies with the aim of analysing how the limits of social housing provision are constructed. The housing sectors of Sydney, Australia and Vienna, Austria are chosen for this study as their rates of social housing vary significantly with 4.7% of households in NSW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020) and 50% of households in Vienna (City of Vienna, 2021) living in social housing. Social housing is analysed in relation to its socio-political-economic and historic context including private housing sectors, government departments, banks, architecture firms and social movements. An applied thematic analysis (Guest, MacQueen & Namey, 2012) of publicly available documents from relevant organisations is followed by twenty-one semi-structured interviews in each city. Using field theory (Bourdieu, 1996a; Fligstein & McAdam, 2012; Martin, 2003), three lenses are used to analyse the resulting data. First, an exploration of relationships reveals dynamics in the field, including the efforts of governments to maintain legitimacy of funding decisions in the eyes of voters. Secondly, a focus on doxa and ‘meaning projects’ (Fligstein & McAdam, 2012, p. 47) in which actors engage, gives a granular view of discourses, how they are produced and reproduced, and how they benefit individuals and groups differentially. Thirdly, an examination of the forms of capital exchanged provides a practical guide to the field. Analysis reveals that the structure of Sydney’s housing field is driven by private capital accumulation, whereas Vienna’s housing field is more solidaristic and dominated by collective responses to housing needs.

Books by Greta W Werner

Research paper thumbnail of Boundaries between private and public in the construction of limits on social housing in Sydney, Australia

Physical and symbolic borders and boundaries and how they unfold on space : an inquiry on making, unmaking and remaking borders and boundaries across the world, 2024

Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and ... more Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and undeserving. This is a two-way process, by which withdrawal of public funds creates poverty, and the stigmatisation of poverty also justifies withdrawal of public funds. However, not only does this process create and recreate poverty, but it is also used to justify capitalist exploitation of specific places. The relationship between the public and private spheres is shifting, and the change has spatial characteristics. This chapter aims to explore the construction of boundaries between private and public housing in Sydney, Australia, including the liminal spaces represented by community housing. Despite having a strong public sector and a functioning social housing programme since the Commonwealth Housing Commission was formed in 1944, at 4.7% Sydney has a very low rate of social housing. The construction of boundaries between private and public is constantly maintained in the housing sector, despite other sectors such as health and education being overwhelmingly accepted as public responsibilities. This ensures a low rate of social housing. The argument is based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2018 with professionals working within social housing provision or connected to the field through their advocacy efforts or supporting role (e.g., finance). It interrogates symbolic and material boundaries and the connections between them to show their spatial effects. An analysis of the interviews shows that boundaries limiting social housing in Sydney are maintained to reinforce individualism in Sydney’s housing field and safeguard real estate as a private financial asset.

Research paper thumbnail of Housing movements: From solidaristic discourse to solidaristic fields

Political geography, Feb 1, 2024

This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to ... more This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to scholarship on solidarity and field theory to contribute to the conceptual development of ‘people power strategies’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021) related to housing. It takes up Madden and Marcuse's (2016) call for a focus on people and politics and offers a case study of Viennese housing to show an example where such a focus has found success. It argues that Vienna's high percentage of socially housed households was developed and is maintained through deliberate and constant work by actors in the social housing field. It shows the types of ‘social skill’ (Fligstein, 2001) that contribute to a strong social housing sector in Vienna. The paper develops the concept of solidaristic social skill as a ‘people power strategy’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021). Solidaristic discourse works against the stigmatisation which so often divides nascent housing movements.

Research paper thumbnail of Boundaries between private and public in the construction of limits on social housing in Sydney, Australia

Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and ... more Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and undeserving. This is a two-way process, by which withdrawal of public funds creates poverty, and the stigmatisation of poverty also justifies withdrawal of public funds. However, not only does this process create and recreate poverty, but it is also used to justify capitalist exploitation of specific places. The relationship between the public and private spheres is shifting, and the change has spatial characteristics. This chapter aims to explore the construction of boundaries between private and public housing in Sydney, Australia, including the liminal spaces represented by community housing. Despite having a strong public sector and a functioning social housing programme since the Commonwealth Housing Commission was formed in 1944, at 4.7% Sydney has a very low rate of social housing. The construction of boundaries between private and public is constantly maintained in the housing sector, despite other sectors such as health and education being overwhelmingly accepted as public responsibilities. This ensures a low rate of social housing. The argument is based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2018 with professionals working within social housing provision or connected to the field through their advocacy efforts or supporting role (e.g., finance). It interrogates symbolic and material boundaries and the connections between them to show their spatial effects. An analysis of the interviews shows that boundaries limiting social housing in Sydney are maintained to reinforce individualism in Sydney’s housing field and safeguard real estate as a private financial asset.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Social Housing in Three Areas of Practice

XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018), Jul 18, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Housing movements: From solidaristic discourse to solidaristic fields

Political Geography, 2024

This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to ... more This article considers interview data from a study on social housing in Vienna with reference to scholarship on solidarity and field theory to contribute to the conceptual development of ‘people power strategies’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021) related to housing. It takes up Madden and Marcuse's (2016) call for a focus on people and politics and offers a case study of Viennese housing to show an example where such a focus has found success. It argues that Vienna's high percentage of socially housed households was developed and is maintained through deliberate and constant work by actors in the social housing field. It shows the types of ‘social skill’ (Fligstein, 2001) that contribute to a strong social housing sector in Vienna. The paper develops the concept of solidaristic social skill as a ‘people power strategy’ (Tattersall & Iveson, 2021). Solidaristic discourse works against the stigmatisation which so often divides nascent housing movements.

Research paper thumbnail of Implications of Marx and Foucault for Social Research on Health

This paper compares Marxian theories with those of Foucault (1975) with regard to the sociology o... more This paper compares Marxian theories with those of Foucault (1975) with regard to the sociology of illness and health. In particular, the differences between them will be highlighted to show how each theoretical position informs the way that health, illness and the medical sector is understood and the impact this has on research. Each theory provides a different lens through which particular features will be visible to the researcher. Marxian and Foucauldian theory are both concerned with the operation of power and the effect this has on social structures. A Marxian analysis of the medical sector highlights the ways that the medical sector supports the capitalist mode of production and the problems involved with the commodification of health (eg Richards 1991, Nelkin and Tancredi 1989, Saks 1995). Foucault’s structural theory of power explains the organisation of societies in terms of internalised disciplines that are based on knowledge produced through the objectification and surveillance of individuals (Foucault 1975). The Foucauldian view highlights the complicity of patients with the medical profession (eg Lupton 2012:113). Both views can be used to critique the biomedical model of healthcare, but the economic inequalities structuring the healthcare sector are more easily explained by a Marxian view (Willis 1994).

Research paper thumbnail of Self and Society in Durkheim, Weber and Goffman

This essay discusses the contributions of Durkheim, Weber and Goffman to the historical developme... more This essay discusses the contributions of Durkheim, Weber and Goffman to the historical development of sociological theory in which sociologists interests are shown to move from scientific enquiry to a focus on social action, its meaning and the agency of the individual. A historical survey of movements in sociological theory is provided as a context within which the theorists are placed, showing each theorist's impact and tracing the movement from Durkheim's 'social facts' to the 'social constructions' of symbolic interactionism. Examples of Durkheim's theoretical work are placed within a discussion of positivism in sociological theory and a discussion of subsequent criticism from non-positivist sociologists follows, beginning with Weber. Weber's nuanced and deliberate balance of historical enquiry, observation of patterns in social behaviour and focus on the meaning of this behaviour to the individual (verstehen) in his theoretical work is claimed to be a major innovation in social theory, highlighting the role of individual consciousness and motivation (Kalberg 2005). This leads into a discussion of the focus on the self in the microsociological tradition, of which symbolic interationism is a part (Collins 1994). Though Goffman's theory differs in some respects from symbolic interactionism, his focus on the construction and maintenance of the self places his work in the microsociological tradition (Collins 1994).

Research paper thumbnail of Housing Fields: A Comparison of Social Housing across two Areas of Practice

Housing Fields: A Comparison of Social Housing across two Areas of Practice, 2021

The thesis presents a comparative study of the social housing sectors of two capitalist democraci... more The thesis presents a comparative study of the social housing sectors of two capitalist democracies with the aim of analysing how the limits of social housing provision are constructed. The housing sectors of Sydney, Australia and Vienna, Austria are chosen for this study as their rates of social housing vary significantly with 4.7% of households in NSW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020) and 50% of households in Vienna (City of Vienna, 2021) living in social housing. Social housing is analysed in relation to its socio-political-economic and historic context including private housing sectors, government departments, banks, architecture firms and social movements. An applied thematic analysis (Guest, MacQueen & Namey, 2012) of publicly available documents from relevant organisations is followed by twenty-one semi-structured interviews in each city. Using field theory (Bourdieu, 1996a; Fligstein & McAdam, 2012; Martin, 2003), three lenses are used to analyse the resulting data. First, an exploration of relationships reveals dynamics in the field, including the efforts of governments to maintain legitimacy of funding decisions in the eyes of voters. Secondly, a focus on doxa and ‘meaning projects’ (Fligstein & McAdam, 2012, p. 47) in which actors engage, gives a granular view of discourses, how they are produced and reproduced, and how they benefit individuals and groups differentially. Thirdly, an examination of the forms of capital exchanged provides a practical guide to the field. Analysis reveals that the structure of Sydney’s housing field is driven by private capital accumulation, whereas Vienna’s housing field is more solidaristic and dominated by collective responses to housing needs.

Research paper thumbnail of Boundaries between private and public in the construction of limits on social housing in Sydney, Australia

Physical and symbolic borders and boundaries and how they unfold on space : an inquiry on making, unmaking and remaking borders and boundaries across the world, 2024

Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and ... more Socio-spatial stigma is a powerful tool, creating boundaries between the so-called deserving and undeserving. This is a two-way process, by which withdrawal of public funds creates poverty, and the stigmatisation of poverty also justifies withdrawal of public funds. However, not only does this process create and recreate poverty, but it is also used to justify capitalist exploitation of specific places. The relationship between the public and private spheres is shifting, and the change has spatial characteristics. This chapter aims to explore the construction of boundaries between private and public housing in Sydney, Australia, including the liminal spaces represented by community housing. Despite having a strong public sector and a functioning social housing programme since the Commonwealth Housing Commission was formed in 1944, at 4.7% Sydney has a very low rate of social housing. The construction of boundaries between private and public is constantly maintained in the housing sector, despite other sectors such as health and education being overwhelmingly accepted as public responsibilities. This ensures a low rate of social housing. The argument is based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2018 with professionals working within social housing provision or connected to the field through their advocacy efforts or supporting role (e.g., finance). It interrogates symbolic and material boundaries and the connections between them to show their spatial effects. An analysis of the interviews shows that boundaries limiting social housing in Sydney are maintained to reinforce individualism in Sydney’s housing field and safeguard real estate as a private financial asset.