First Lines:
The notion of housing refers, in the social sciences, to human settlement systems inscribed in territories, their spatial distribution, modes of localization, dissemination, as well as the general conditions of the inhabited dwellings.
Anthropology have underlined the passive nature, despite its necessity, of human dwellings’ shelter dimension. It has shown that their spatial distribution, architectural types and devices, interior layout, variations in the use of materials, refer less part to a utilitarian conception of the dwelling than to an intention to translate a cultural model of social life. The inhabitant’s goal is to constitute for himself and his group a meaningful and relevant unit within the social space of his culture. As such, houses and housing represent, beyond their capacity to provide shelter, comfort and respite, major facets of material culture, expressing the mentality of the inhabitants, their way of life and their relationship to their environment.
Housing and its multiple sociological, demographic, and economic ramifications are at the center of people’s concerns. As a system of population and territorial devices, it reflects the structure of a social system, carries a heavy ideological weight, and constitutes a significant political issue.
Housing is strongly defined by its territorial anchoring. It raises fundamental issues such as the dwellings ‘location and its ramifications in terms of social status (the suburb, the popular vs the affluent neighborhood, etc.), well-being (density of medical services, local services, etc.), comfort and day to day life (schools, sports and cultural facilities, etc.), and social hierarchy. It is built in line with the cultural norms of a given era and heavy socio-economic determinants weigh on it.
