ABSTRACT
If the value of civic spaces lies in its potential to add dynamism to civil society, then these two concepts must be discussed together. As the notion of civic space embraces a social context, it must also seek to understand the nature of social ties because these are reproduced in particular civic spaces, anchored by particular activities and mobilized for collective purposes. My concern in this chapter is to arm the concept of civic spaces. While we know space is not an empty receptacle, we need to find ways of conceptualizing civic spaces in such a way as to embellish it with a social potential. If “identity” is a slippery concept that tends to essentialize, over-attribute, and remain unchanging in characterization, we must find a way of discovering elements within this space that have a stronger potential to focus the individual beyond the self.1 My suggestion is to look at local community structures that embed the individual in a set of social relationships and involve interactions that are not just episodic but regular, and activities that build towards a common purpose. While others identify many different kinds of civic spaces, this chapter represents a focus on a particular type of civic space, namely that of community/civic centers.2
