ABSTRACT
In this chapter an overview is provided of some theories and concepts which are deemed to be relevant in developing a contextual approach to the understanding of residential environments. As mentioned in the introduction, this necessitates drawing on a number of disciplinary strands in order to attain suffi cient breadth to address the complexities of the nature of housing. The fi rst section of the chapter briefl y examines the way in which commentators on built form, anthropologists, and specialists in environment-behaviour studies have analysed the relationship between culture and dwelling, and refers to the limitations of their approaches. The subsequent three sections concern the constitution of society and take a more sociological perspective. First there is a discussion of the structure/agency debate, including a critique of social constructionism and the contributions of Giddens and Bourdieu. Then attention is paid to the different roles of institutions, organisations and individuals in framing agency, and to the importance of discourse in shaping action and meaning. The chapter then moves on to look at how built form too can have meaning, and how spatial organisation is irrevocably implicated in supporting or constraining social action.
