O teritorialnosti v antropologiji, pa tudi geografiji

The paper provides a theoretical discussion on the study, use, and conceptualization of territoriality in social anthropology. The author reports that to date in anthropology the research into human appropriation or control of space and in particular the theoretical discussion on territoriality has generally been restricted to the field of ecological anthropology. In this field, the ecological-evolutionism paradigm, according to which territoriality is studied as an expression of adaptation to given natural conditions in the function of optimization of survival strategies, has prevailed. Other forms, aspects, and contexts of human appropriation of space that are frequently encountered through our daily life experiences have generally been \u27concealed\u27 under different labels and research topics and hence only seldom are the main subjects of comprehensive research. As a result, numerous non-ecological aspects of space appropriation have been absent from anthropological treatises and conceptualizations of territoriality. Therefore, the author suggests that in anthropology the expression \u27territoriality\u27 be used as an umbrella term for the denotation andbroader conceptualization of different aspects and forms of space appropriation. To support his views, he presents the instance of conceptualization of territoriality in social geography, where the topic has been dedicated significant theoretical attention and where territoriality has generally been conceptualized beyond the ecological paradigm. Furthermore, the author has determined that to date in both disciplines the discussion on territoriality focused on aspects defined as \u27instrumental aspects\u27 and \u27territorial practices\u27. On the other hand, a relative lack of interest in different cognitive aspects of territoriality or - in other words - the aspects defined as \u27territorial representations\u27 and \u27ideological aspects of territoriality\u27 has been determined. Given that these aspects reveal the social construction of meanings or socio-spatial ideologies that frequently act in the background of concrete territorial stances, views, and behaviours, special emphasis is laid on their importance within the field of social anthropology. Among social constructions of this kind the author emphasizes the association of the identity of a given social group and a location, or of (one) culture and (one) location. In the times of global integration and supposed cultural \u27hybridiyation\u27 the relevancy of these representations in society has not diminished, which is most clearly manifest in different opinions and conflicts in relation to the justified use and control (i.e., appropriation) of given spaces