Thinking architecture through a macro-to-micro understanding

Abstract

Social architecture debates on rethinking architecture has come to the fore within the field during the 2000s. The prominence of the notion of agency in these criticisms can be seen as a current expansion from architecture to sociology. The study aims to provide a complementary two-way view to this interdisciplinary expansion by looking into the reverse direction and asks: In what way architecture can be approached from a sociological standpoint? For this, agency is treated as a conceptual ground and investigated in the relevant sociological literature. Then, a theoretical-critical framework is formed based on macro/micro, structure/agency notions pertinent to duality problematic. A particular two-fold classification regarding social analyses proposing to overcome dualities is derived. Following a qualitative research approach, text analysis method is adopted. Textual data is compiled from writings of thinkers regarding sociology which deal with architecture. The research, first, scrutinizes the understanding of architecture as a macro structure; and then, within its dissolution, interprets architectural practice. The study advances an interdisciplinary perspective approaching architecture as a network of diverse agencies and relations, which goes beyond questioning inadequacy of architecture against macro level facts and issues. Thus, it makes a theoretical contribution to current criticisms of architectural field.