Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.62.3.5
Infrastructure as a Sociological Phenomenon: Ontological and Developmental Dimensions
Paško Bilić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5174-7073
; Institut za razvoj i međunarodne odnose, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The infrastructure concept is intuitively understandable in everyday language and refers, for
example, to water supply, electrical networks, telephone networks, public transport, bridges,
tunnels, railways and the Internet. Infrastructure is a fundamental prerequisite for numerous
social, political and economic processes, although we usually only notice its impact during
interruptions in supply or flow. Despite the central role in modern societies, the infrastructure
concept is insufficiently developed sociologically. This paper aims to offer theoretical starting
points for the sociological analysis of infrastructure and to connect structure and agency
through the idea of infrastructure. Such a conceptualisation is important for ontological and
developmental reasons. First, it is crucial to theorise how social practices, processes and institutions
are affected by the availability and functionality of different infrastructures. Second, it
is important to shed light on the political-economic and developmental role of infrastructure,
following the various interests of infrastructure management. The paper offers a meta-theoretical
review elucidating social practices and indirect social processes arising from the use of
infrastructure on the one hand, and the power of the state, capital and transnational processes
to shape the infrastructure supply and use on the other hand.
Ključne riječi
Infrastructure; social practice; state; capital; neoliberalism; common goods
Hrčak ID:
331809
URI
Datum izdavanja:
27.3.2025.
Posjeta: 1.318 *