How can we use the perspective of praxeology to explore and analyze the relationship among neighbors in the public space of the community?

杨倩

Introduction：In recent years， interpersonal relationships have gradually become the focus of research in the fields of art， psychology， sociology， and behavioral science. In the contemporary economy and the development of technology， interpersonal relationships are the foundation and theme of human life. “Most human behavior takes place within the context of the individual's relationships with others ，” Harry （2000） said. However， in our daily lives， especially in the communities in which we live， neighborhood relationships are a kind of interpersonal relationship based on regional relations. With the acceleration of people's life rhythms and urban changes， the relationship between neighborhoods has been gradually drifting away， so we often ignore those that we often see but never directly interact with — Our Familiar Strangers. As a member of the community， we tend to use countless observable clues to construct the meaning behind this place： noisy or quiet， clean or dirty， and big or small. However， we have reduced our interactions with our neighbors.

In the UK， although communities have great differences in planning—for example， some communities build infrastructure （fitness equipment， basketball courts， football fields） to facilitate communication among residents—we still can find many people who tend to go straight home through their public areas and do not have contact with their neighbors. People have gradually accepted this phenomenon as a community norm， as residents have accepted the fact that the relationship between neighbors is constantly “degrading."

Under the social phenomenon of the familiar strangers， the purpose of this dissertation is to enable people to understand the importance of interpersonal relationships within the community and to reflect on the problems caused by the indifference of community residents to arouse people's sense of community participation.

This paper is divided into four chapters. It starts by analyzing how the community is important to our lives. The following chapters essentially probe into analyzing community problems in today's society and compares neighborhood relations between the UK and China using the perspective of praxeology to analyze people's behavior. This paper also addresses the factors that contribute to the status of the familiar stranger. The final part of the paper adds to examples， demonstrating the impact of design on interpersonal relationships within the community.

Keywords： Familiar stranger;Community;Praxeology;Neighborhood relationship

In the urbanization process， social production methods and social system have been transformed and people have made important changes in their lifestyles. That is to say， the pattern of the polymerization relationship of residence has undergone important changes： from the blood led the family of the original agricultural society and the clan style settlement model to the social convergence model dominated by social promotion in industrial society to finally form the “city-community-family” structure model. The community acts like a bond connecting “small families” with the “big family.”

1.1 The Concept of Community

In Western sociology， there are many definitions of the community. From a sociological point of view， the concept of “community” was first coined by the German sociologist Ferdinand Tonnies in his book， Community and Society， in 1887， in which he proposed dividing the history of human social development into two stages： community to society. Community refers to the relationship between homogeneous populations with common customs and values， close and mutual help of humanized groups. The society corresponding to the community is composed of heterogeneous people with different customs， values， contracts， and the division of labor. The community mainly emphasizes strong interpersonal relationships， lasting and real common life. Therefore， the community is not a geographical concept， but it is an organizational concept. The community is the basic unit of human life， culture， and various social activities. The specific existence of social value norms is created by human beings combined with their natural environment. Therefore， the emergence of the community is a milestone in social progress and the development as well as a milestone in the development of lifestyles.

1.2 The Elements of Community

In 1955， the American scholar GA Hilaire once compared the existing 94 definitions of community and found that 69 of the definitions included three aspects—geography， social interaction， and common bond—which are indispensable elements to establishing a community.

However， when we refer to real life to reflect on the communities in which we live， we will think about whether GA Hilaire's theory is in line with our real lives. The buildings created by designers are one of the conditions for forming a community. In recent years， with the rapid development of the real estate industry， many architects are not only paying attention to the practicality of the building itself， but also considering its sustainability， the overall planning of the community， and the utilization of its public areas. Architecture has become an indispensable element by which to judge a community.

1.3 The Characteristics of Community

（1） High-Density Heterogeneous Living Unit

Firstly， the community is the social unit of the city according to Jane Jacobs （1993）， who states that a city is not put together like a mammal or a steel frame building—or even like honeycomb or a coral， as the community is just like a smaller version of the city. The continuous construction of the community creates a wide variety of community culture and community environments. At the same time， it also promotes the diversity of the city and the residents' understanding of the community. The basic living activities of most community members are in the communities in which they live. In this way， they establish a variety of social interpersonal relationships and rely on the infrastructure of the community to solve various problems in their material and spiritual lives. The high density and heterogeneity of the population is a distinctive feature of the urban population. The role of the urban population， the floating population， and urban social division of labor and stratification results in the heterogeneity of the city， which is reflected in the differences in education， economic ability， occupation， industry.In this high density heterogeneous living unit， the inter-community interactions can be changed by the community type.

（2） Diversified Social Relations and Culture

The heterogeneity and mobility of the population enable the residents to gradually adopt a tolerant attitude towards the community environment in which they live. Also， this attitude enables new things to be produced and developed in the city; at the same time， encouraging new things to emerge， and providing urban residents with the support of diverse lifestyles. The other side of pluralistic social relationships and culture is characterized by the impersonal relationship between the same roles， which means due to the multiplicity of the population and social relationships in the city， it is impossible for each individual to know or be deeply familiar with everyone. But each individual has various needs and levels of reliance on others. In terms of dealing with affairs， people only need to follow a procedural process without any emotional input. So， they tend to use a way that is efficient and effective for measuring and evaluating the standards of their daily life. Thus， the relationship between individuals or groups becomes rationalized and utilitarian.

Bernard （2018） showed that social relations are both local and global， so society becomes more heterogeneous， less centralized， less vertically integrated， and more horizontally differentiated. The attitude from the residents tends to reduce the enthusiasm of the community members for participating in community public affairs.

（3） Complex Social Structure

To adapt to diversified functions， the number of urban communities and their internal structures are more complicated than those of rural communities. Generally， urban communities can be divided into political organizations， economic organizations， educational science and cultural organizations， health sports and welfare organizations. These organizations have the characteristics of functional specialization， organizational structure， and sub-groups.

The formation of the community is the result of the continuous development of modern society. Some of its public facilities bring a convenient living environment for people who form a new interpersonal circle. However， the speed of the facilities development in the community is faster than the interactions between people. People do not make good use of public spaces， so their relationship becomes more and more indifferent.

2.1 Our Familiar Stranger

2.1.1 Theory of the Familiar Stranger

The familiar stranger is a common social phenomenon that was first proposed by the psychologist Stanley Milgram in 1972. A familiar stranger is someone who you recognize and often shares a common public place with you， such as a bus stop， restaurant， or street， but never interacts with you. By definition， a familiar stranger needs three conditions： （1） he must be observed; （2） repeatedly for a certain time period; （3） without any interaction. Milgram （1972） notes that its a real relationship in which both parties have agreed to mutually ignore each other without any implication of hostility.

After understanding the definition of the familiar stranger， I created a questionnaire survey and sent them to 60 people in three different communities. （They are called Nelson Estate， Elim Estate and “Uncle” respectively.） 60.3% of the respondents thought that they understood the definition of this phrase and they rarely communicate with their neighbors in their lives; 28.3% of the participants deemed themselves to have a good relationship with their neighbors as  they talk to their neighbors every day and they are happy to help their neighbors; 11.4% did not know this phrase and they do not care about the other residents in the community. Among them， 47% were British natives and the remaining 53% were from other countries.

Through this survey， we can analyze the ethnicity of the community as residents have different cultural backgrounds， which may be one of the reasons for this phenomenon-familiar stranger. Many residents know that the relationship between residents is becoming indifferent. What is the status of the relationship among community residents in different countries？ Which groups like to communicate with others？

2.1.2 The Status of Interpersonal Relationships Among Residents in Different Countries

When comparing British and Chinese community planning， the UK has adopted an

“open community” model while China uses a “gated community” model. Because of the differences in social and cultural backgrounds between China and the UK， a different community culture is created. Jacobs （1993） mentioned that New York should engage in the idea of “small streets， small communities.” Her book has had a great impact on American society. Although there were many opponents at the time， European and American countries have gradually changed. So， we can see open communities everywhere in the UK—people basically go from different sidewalks to places they want to go; between 4-6 pm， many parents and children play in the public areas （see Figure 1）， while some passing residents just glance at them before then walking away.

In China， people are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese thinking， and they believe that homes must have walls. In traditional Chinese culture， the wall is an important part. The traditional Chinese character “國” which means the country， it represents a region surrounded by walls. To the Chinese people， walls are not only related to the safety and comfort of the family， but also to the prosperity and decline of the family. Nearly all Chinese communities in the city are in the form of “gated communities”. Many older people choose to gather together to play cards and mahjong in the afternoon（see Figure 2）. Public facilities are rarely used in communities. Chinese parents basically bring their children directly back home after work.

Although the two countries have different community structures， the same social phenomenon exists in both. The community serves as a link to connect people from different places. However， people are affected by many factors， as people are gradually becoming lost in a fast-paced state， so the familiar stranger has become a universal phenomenon.

2.2   Human Behavior as Language

2.2.1 The Theory of Praxeology

The definition of praxeology as given by Rothbard （1962） is： “Human action is simply defined as purposeful behavior” （Sandye， 2002）. The main theme of praxeology is that people purposefully act to meet their needs and to improve their futures， so this change is most effectively derived from a positive interactive process of reflection and action. Praxeology considers human action that has personal and social consequences （Meenaghan， 2005）. As a result， human behavior is intentional and has a certain purpose. However， not all human behavior can be described as behaviors in the praxeological sense： purely reflexive behavior or unconscious physical movements， such as sneezing or yawning， are not examples of actions.

Behavior refers to when an organism uses external and internal activities as an intermediary to interact with the surrounding environment， which means that the behavior is sent by the subject who uses his （her） activities as an intermediary and form. German psychologist Lewin （1936） defined behavior as the result of the interaction between the individual and the environment， introducing the two variables "Person" and "Environment" while behavior is a function of these two variables. The basic principles of his human behavior can be expressed as：

B  =  f（P，  E）

In the formula：B—— Behavior;P——Person——Internal psychological factors;E——Environment——External environmental impact （natural， social）.

Lewin's equation indicates that behavior （B） is a function or result of an interaction between an individual （P） and an environment （E）. The model reveals two elements that produce decisive behavior and explains the reasons for the diversity of behavior.

In the art field， there are many artists exploring human behavior， such as Elena who likes to take photos of interesting scenes and considers how we are seeing and interacting with the world around us（see Figure 3）. Finally， she uses contemporary figurative paintings to express how people behave when they visit exhibitions in public places. Her paintings also reflect the quiet and still spaces， which have poetic elements and invite us to meditate and create our own narratives. The behavior of the people in these oil paintings allows us to consider the inner meaning behind it.

2.2.2 The Relationship Between Community and Residents from the Perspective of Praxeology

Mark （2011） notes in his book，“Our actions are determined by a number of factors， including our perception of the world， what we want from it， what we think we are capable of doing， and what we expect will happen as a result of our actions. These perceptions merge into an immediate theory of action at the moment of acting.” Praxeology can lead us to think about what kind of action is possible given how their worlds work， what they think that they need at that time， and what they can do to achieve it.

In the community， the behavior of the residents and the existing environment are mutually influential and interdependent. The overall planning and order of the community can be affected by the residents behaviors. At the same time， the infrastructure and environment of a community can influence the living experience of the residents and their behaviors.

The progress of the community requires interaction between people and the community can become a tool for the residents to communicate. If people gather together in a specific place where they are happy and willing to actively take action to create a good living environment， then the community will change into a benign trend. Michael （1969）， various psychologists are concerned with human behavior， with social interactions one of the most important kinds of human behaviors. Therefore， the behavior from the residents becomes a sign of their attitude towards their surroundings. However， defamiliarization of that which is or has become familiar or taken for granted is hence automatically perceived （De Guzman， 2016）.

3.1 Development of Community in the UK

Britain was the first country to experience industrialization and urbanization. It was also the first country to be plagued by social problems—especially after the Second World War when the British cities were greatly damaged. Although the British government launched the urban renaissance movement in the early post-war period， it only eased the post-war tension and fundamentally did not solve the social problems. At this time， the community program was promulgated， from the community movement， “ community development project ”， the introduction of the project of the “ community-based economic development” strategic planning guidance， to the implementation of the “ new community policy ” and the neighborhood program. Community development had shifted from its initial form of self-help strategies into a model of joint action between the government and community managers. Simultaneously， the British government has continuously improved its community planning， which affected the relationship between the residents.

The Initial Stage of Community Development （ the 1960s — 1970s）

To solve the UK governments inability to further meet the peoples living needs after the war， the UK government implemented the “community development project” and began to plan a cheaper public housing policy， namely council housing（see Figure 4）. During this period， the housing distribution was concentrated and formed a distinct area. Since most of the residents living in council housing were workers， they shared the same background. So， the residents relationships were very close.

Transitional Stage of Community Development （ the late 70s to mid-late 1990s）

The global economy fell into a depression and the British economy also experienced serious stagflation. The government proposed the “Community Based Economic Development” strategy. The emergence of enterprises promoted the new vitality of community development and improved the efficiency of development of the British economy. However， during this period， the disparity between the rich and the poor led to a regionalized distribution of communities and the differentiation of architectural styles.

Terraced houses became the most important type of housing for residents（see Figure 5）. At the same time， high-rises began to emerge. The residents began to pay attention to the construction of infrastructure. However， compared with government housing， to a certain degree， back to back housing inconvenienced communication between the residents.

Community Subjectification Stage （ the late 1990s - early 21st century）

Although the UK economy had started to recover， the cities did not have comprehensive development， social problems still existed， and the community had gradually become the mainstay of the urban revitalization policy. The introduction of “new community politics” and some special measures prompted the rapid development of the real estate industry（see Figure 6）， which caused the relocation of some residents. At the same time， when we use security gates and monitoring to protect our personal security， greetings from neighbors are blocked to some extent.

3.2 The Boom of Electronic Products

According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs （1943）， "There are 5 sets of goals （basic needs） which are related to each other and are arranged in a hierarchy of prepotency. When the most prepotent goal is realized， the next higher need emerges. Thus， man is a perpetually wanting animal." Therefore， people's needs motivate them to want to obtain higher requirements. Thus， a series of behaviors occur to achieve this goal.

Electronic products were created by people in their continuous exploration after reaching the basic needs. The continuous improvement of smartphone application software and communication capabilities beyond spatial distance have broken through the limitations of face to face interaction. Electronic products have changed interpersonal relationships and the way of communication， allowing people to shop online， order food， chat， and be entertained without leaving their homes. Therefore， people only need to use smartphones to meet their daily needs and to achieve this goal， they only need to move their fingers.

3.3 Other Relative Factors

In the UK， many people from different countries choose to work here and look for better job opportunities. Therefore， there are many people from different cultures in the UK community. Cultural diversity doesn't just entail differences in dress and language. It also encompasses different ways of thinking， managing， and communicating.

Work stress is also an indispensable factor. Many staff members are influenced by negative emotions at work and choose to be in calm settings rather than stay in a noisy environment.

The environment in a public area affects people's satisfaction and experience with the community. Infrastructure and vegetation are the basic elements that make up a public area. Residents will judge whether the environment meets their needs according to the environment within the community and then take appropriate action.

4.1 Design Practices in the Community

In recent years， many designers have begun to focus on the theme of people's relationships in the community and use interactive ways to promote interpersonal communication. They care about how the art behaves， how to let the audiences become part of the action， and ultimately， the level of participation. Mills & Brown （2004） said， “As a community development strategy， art practice has been used in various areas such as health， ecologically sustainable development， public housing and place， rural revitalization， community strengthening， active citizenship， social inclusion， and cultural diversity.” Play and pleasure form the goals of art or， at least， the nature of the interactive experience being addressed （Costello， 2009）. Residence in a relaxed and pleasant environment is more conducive to people's communications.

The Digua community center （see Figure 7&8） is a city basement renovation project in Beijing by Zishu Zhou. Two floors below the street， the basement was once a bomb shelter designed to withstand wartime air raids before later becoming a residential complex. His team solved the problem of supplying oxygen and fire escape in the construction process. At the same time， residents participated in the design of the preliminary functional area of the basement.Finally， the basement became a shared space consisting of a "lights study room，" library， "social fitness，" "shared toys，" "private theater，" "neighbor tea，" "create a classroom，" and other functional areas. It has become a platform for street community residents to communicate and enhance their friendships.

4.2 The Importance of Design to Interpersonal Relationships

Design comes from and serves life. When many designers create their works， they tend to combine the actual situation and pay attention to the interpersonal relationships to achieve the best results.

Monica & Christopher （2010） believed that the process starts when participation in the art project provides the participants with an opportunity to create togetherness， which facilitates the development of critical dialogues among themselves. Through these dialogues， people reigniting their experiences and stories that have been ignored. Contact and participation in neglected and intangible experiences and stories contribute to forming social connections among the participants. Art project can gives them a base to develop confidence and a sense of “we-ness” because it disrupts the intercultural and intergenerational gap between people.

Art has a real energy. The visual language， color， format， and size all influence the action of the audience. It can open an opportunity for expressing different emotions and exchanging different stories while this experience increases a sense of connection between the audience members.

Conclusion

In short， we need to attach great importance to the weakening of the neighborhood relationship of the community. Although a series of phenomena， such as familiar strangers， have not caused irreversible effects on us， in recent years， defamiliarization has been taken for granted by people and strangeness between neighbors has helped people to add a lock to an originally cold door. Many residents are unfamiliar with their neighbors， causing many misunderstandings.

Living in a community， we inevitably must get along with our neighbors. Neighborhood relationships are the main interpersonal relationships in the community. Different neighborhoods can give us different feelings and experiences， creating a different community atmosphere. A harmonious neighborhood relationship is not only beneficial to our lives， studies， and work， but also has a positive impact on the development of the community.

Although community activities and infrastructures can inhibit indifference between people and eliminate the increasingly thick barrier between neighbors， this power is still limited. To truly realize the change from “unfamiliar neighbors” to “familiar neighbors，” residents still need to recognize the importance of the neighborhood relationship and participate in community activities.

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