Strong, Weak and Invisible Ties: A Relational Perspective on Urban Coexistence

Abstract

The dichotomy between ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ ties is a common theme in sociological scholarship dealing with urban space, yet urban ethnographers have long been describing the prevalence of impersonal relations. Such relations can be described as fleeting encounters between complete strangers, while others – as in the case of ‘nodding’ relationships – are durable and have yet to be conceptualised. The notion of ‘invisible ties’ is proposed as a conceptual handle for studying typical urban relations that complement the established notions of strong and weak ties. Through an empirical study of four residential buildings in Geneva (Switzerland), these ‘invisible ties’ are revealed by means of a systemic approach to social urban life, from which two key actors emerge: ‘socialisers’ and ‘figures’. This research addresses gaps in the literature on interpersonal relations in urban contexts by focusing on the interplay between different types of social ties, encompassing the whole continuum from anonymity to intimacy.

Neighborhood Walking and Social Connectedness

“…While a stranger refers to “someone who has not been knowingly encountered before” (Cooper 2007 , p. 205), a familiar stranger denotes “an individual who is recognized from regular activities, but with whom one does not interact or communicate” (Jackson et al 2017 , p. 9). Also referred to as “invisible ties” or “nodding relationships,” these anonymous, albeit recognizable social connections “become known over time and are no longer interchangeable” (Felder 2020 , pp. 7–8).…”

“…Neighborhoods, with their streets, sidewalks, and open spaces, represent meaningful settings within the public realm that facilitate routine encounters in which social ties can strengthen (or wither). Relationships within neighborhoods can span the spectrum of social ties from strong to weak to invisible (Felder, 2020 ). Put another way, neighbors can be close friends, acquaintances, or nominal individuals whom we fail to see at all (Rosenblum, 2016 ; Felder, 2020 ).…”

(Re)visiting the neighbourhood

“…Strong(er) everyday interactions may encompass (at least in non‐pandemic times), sharing coffee with a neighbour and/or friends who live locally, offering to water plants while someone is away, sharing house keys, or providing other extended means of help and support. Adding to this existing typology, Felder (2020: 681) also examined invisible ties, ‘relations with known strangers [which may be] anonymous yet recognisable people we pass on the street on a regular basis’. Her research showed that invisible ties are an ‘impersonal‐yet‐durable’ form of relation important for bolstering familiarity in the neighbourhood.…”

Situated Withnessing in/as Intervention

“…Following discussions with project partners in the field, I started to relate and translate anthropological (Faier & Rofel 2014), geographical (Wilson 2017) and sociological (Blokland 2017) debates into an ecological concept of encountering (Bieler 2021). The notion of encounter allows us not only to address the importance of weak or absent social ties (Small 2009(Small , 2017Felder 2020), but also to analyze the mutual co-constitution of humans and urban environments, highlighting how emergent environments are at once embodied and effected by these embodiments. Such a heuristic pays particular attention to material elements as active forces within an encounter, and through this interrogation the distinction between 'the social' and 'the biological' is transcended.…”