An Ethnography of Urban Exploration : Unpacking Heterotopic Social Space (Leisure Studies in a Global Era)

This book analyses a unique leisure world that has been built around a newly emerging phenomenon known as urban exploration; the art of exploring human-made environments which are generally abandoned or hidden from sight of the public eye. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia, Bingham provides a detailed and critical investigation of urban exploration as a form of leisure that is about the coming together of drifting performers who, in their celebration of ‘rebellion’ and ‘deviance’, are determined to find a sense of meaning and belonging. The research considers the influence of consumer capitalism on urban explorers, and the wider social, economic and political context that shapes ideas of belonging and identity in the twenty-first century. By doing this, the book analyses urban exploration as an activity that has emerged in a time when human ideas about culture, individuality and community have transformed, and ‘solid’ modernity is gradually disintegrating around us. This multi and interdisciplinary work will appeal to people with an interest in ‘abnormal’ or ‘deviant’ leisure, as well as academics from sociology, anthropology, social geography, leisure studies, cultural studies, sport and recreation and tourism. Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures Part I Setting the Scene 1 In Between the Everyday and the Imaginary Why a Book on Urban Exploration as Heterotopia? A Definition of Heterotopic Social Space Conceptualising the Non-conceptual Outline of the Book References 2 Some Reflections on the Existing Literature Introduction Aestheticising Decay Evading the Spectacle Gender Trouble Tightly Fractured ‘Communities’ Consumers in Disguise The Performativity of Urban Exploration Heterotopia Redux Summary References 3 Constructing a Critical Lens Introduction Metaphysical Orientations The Research Design On Being an Insider Introducing WildBoyz Raising Ethical Issues and Making Moral Choices Summary References Part II Exploring the Interregnum 4 Seeking Spaces of Compensation in Modernity’s Dark Side Introduction The Utopian Dream Rethinking the Nightmare of Disenchantment Unpacking the Twenty-First-Century Interregnum Finding Enchantment in Disenchantment: Taking the Spillway Heterotopic Social Space An Interim Summary References 5 Finding a Way in the Garden of Forked Paths: The Ontological Hybrids Extraordinaire Introduction Obligation and Responsibility: Skholērs Unite The ‘Art of Living’ Performatively: The Realm of the Khôraster ‘Of Other Spaces’: The Non-absolutes Summary References Part III Unpacking Heterotopic Social Space 6 The Cognitive Spacing of WildBoyz: On Thinking Skholērly Introduction Skiing in the Interregnum Cognitive Spacing in Heterotopia: The WildBoyz Way Traitors and Ominous Strangers: Overcoming the Arcane ‘Other’ ‘The Fr3e Roamer Cunts’ Heterotopic Space and Its Politics of ‘Otherness’ References 7 Aesthetic Social Spacing: Altogether Now with the Khôrasters Introduction Admission to the Attractions of the Underground The Playful Ingeniousness of Urban Exploration Chaos: On Exploiting the ‘Telecity’ The Ephemeral Ecstasy of Aesthetic Space References 8 Being with and Being for: Moral Social Spacing in Action Introduction A Night on the Town On Free Floating Responsibility Re-examining the Moral Party Another Interim Summary References Part IV Heterotopic Ways of Being 9 Practised Life Strategies of WildBoyz Introduction Schizophrenia: A Polymorphic Life Strategy The Schizo Crisis Seeking the Craic: A Nostalgic Life Strategy Finding the Craic in France ‘Good Craic’: The Art of Reliving the Mundane and the Spectacular The Differend and the Sublime: A Parasitical Life Strategy A Twenty-First-Century Lesson in Sublimation The Feeling of the Traumatic Sublime Living in a ‘Viewer Society’: The Life Strategy for Media Whores The Pub Brawl Competing for Fame and Stardom in a Digital World The Synoptic Life: The Performativity of Deviance Summary References Part V Restorative Dreams and Potential Futures 10 No End in Sight Some New Research Directions Re-Imagining Urban Exploration The Ongoing Myth References Index