Economic Development in Tampa Bay through the “Unifying Language” of Sports

Abstract

Increasing attention by social geographers has focused on the role of ideology in the social production of space (Gregory, 1978; Harvey, 1985; Soja, 1989). If ideology has a role to play, perhaps it is best described as representing a filter or lens through which ideas are mediated in the course of human activity. Following Hodder (1984) and Isaac (1987), we can regard ideology as more than a simple twisting of knowledge; indeed, ideology serves as a resource that can be drawn upon to influence the meaning of human activity. The result is that a body of knowledge can be wielded much as any other resource, in turn giving some persons more or less power to influence the social production of space.