ABSTRACT
In this chapter I address the relationship between place and community. While early approaches saw a straightforward connection (sometimes even an equation) of both, little empirical work has been done to ask what a more nuanced relationship between place and community might look like. I address this research gap by showing how place becomes a central aspect in the construction of symbolic communities. Using Anthony Cohens’ concept of symbolic communities, I understand community as an expression of symbolic practices of agents rather than as a structural entity. This approach allows me to analyze the interplay of symbolic boundary work and the construction of different communities in one and the same place. I draw on empirical data from qualitative interviews conducted in Prenzlauer Berg (Berlin, Germany). I conclude that place and community are not connected by default but result from the agent’s ability to construct communities symbolically through place.
