Identity region of Slovenia

Prostor je eden glavnih elementov človekovega obstoja, kot prostorsko bitje se človek s prostorom bivanja identificira. Prostorske identitete nastajajo tudi z družbenim delovanjem, ki poteka skozi različne dejavnosti družbenega življenja. Le te se pogosto odvijajo v prostorsko zaokroženih območjih, povzročajo diferenciranost prostora in občutek skupni regionalni pripadnosti kar pripelje do pojava identitetnih regij. Identitetne regije so tesno povezane s pojmom socialni prostor, ki predstavlja prostorsko dimenzijo organiziranega družbenega življenja. Le to pa je povezano s človekovimi potrebamitam kjer človek živi, zadovoljuje svoje najrazličnejše potrebe, pogosto skozi organizirano družbeno življenje. V raziskavi preučujemo nekatere oblike organiziranega življenja, za katere domnevamo, da so najpomembnejši dejavniki regionalnih identitet: gospodarski subjekti, družbene institucije, upravne delitve, mediji ter množični šport. Omenjeni dejavniki imajo običajno določeno območje delovanja. Z zadovoljevanjem potreb v določenem prostoru se vzpostavi povezava, navezava, identiteta s tem prostorom kar pripelje do nastanka regionalne identitete in identitetnih regij. Identitetna regija je območje, ki ga povezuje podobno stanje duha ter pripadnost organizacijam družbenega življenja, posledica česar je občutek regionalne pripadnosti oziroma regionalna identifikacija z določenim območjem. Ko določeno regijo sprejmejo množice ljudi za svojo, postane del uveljavljenih prostorskih predstav skupnosti in prične »živeti« z njimi. Identitetne regije razumemo kot prostorsko projekcijo socialnih in ekonomskih razmer. Naloga sledi trem ciljem: opredeliti vsebino pojma identitetna regija kot element geografske regionalizacije oziroma členjenosti prostora, preučiti dejavnike, s katerimi je možno prepoznati identitetne regije in določiti prostorski domet relevantnih dejavnikov ter na podlagi tega izdelati regionalizacijo Slovenije na identitetne regije. Do ciljev smo prišli s hevristično metodo, metodo zbiranja in analiziranja podatkov, intervjuja in kartiranja. Ugotovili smo, da v Sloveniji obstaja 12 identitetnih regij.Space is one of the main principles of human existence, as the human being is strongly connected with their living space and from that an identity arises. The space is filled with social interactions which couse the filling of belonging to the same space. The factors that influence spatial identity are regional economy, social institutions, mass medias, administration divisions, and sport. Identity regions are tightly connected with social space which represents the spatial dimension of social relations. Wherever humans live, they are trying to fulfill different needs and these are mainly fulfilled through the organized social structure. In thesis we are researching factors affecting regional identity: the regional economy, the institutions of public life, administrative divisions, mass medias, sports clubs. These factors always maintain a territory of influence – the sphere of interest. This means that they are spatially limited. While fulfilling the needs of a particular territory certain connections, attachments and identities are formed. In such a way institutions become the factors of spatial identity which brings a region it’s identity. The “Identity Region” is the territory filled with the same state of the spirit and belonging to the same institutions of social life, culminating in the feeling of a regional identity. It happens when a particular region is accepted by the people as their own. Identity regions are spatial projections of the social, cultural and economic factors of the area. The thesis tries to realize three aims: to define the term identity region as an element of geographical regionalization, to determine the factors creating the regional identity and indentity regions, to find out the spatial reach of the important elements and on that basis work out the regionalization of Slovenia by identity regions. We used the hevristic method, the method of collecting data, interviewing and mapping. We found that in Slovenia 12 identity regions exist