Social and Environmental Psychology

Abstract

Linkage between social and environmental psychology is illustrated through examination of the theoretical and empirical implications of a concept of "group space" defined as collectively inhabited and socioculturally controlled physical settings. This concept is applied to three levels of environmental settings, that is, school buildings, a university cafeteria, and urban residential areas. Such social-dynamic processes as group territorialities, group conflicts, social regulation of space-use, formation of group identity, and differentiation of public, semipublic, and private space were situated in physical environmental contexts. Three pilot studies revealed that (a) social space such as cafeteria and school buildings are differentiated and hierarchically integrated in terms of multifaceted group space depending on the social group, (b) groups exhibited different space-maintaining strategies and rules that strengthen socialization of group members, and (c) radical changes in the physical environment of a community initiated group-conflicts and renegotiation of group space.