Listening and the sound dimension in the territorial experience

Abstract

This article presents and discusses the sensory and affective aspect of the relationship with the territory, delving into the experience of listening and sound environments. We understand that caring about listening and other individuals’ sensory experiences is positively connected to the feeling of belonging, that it reveals territorial knowledge and influences the quality of human life, as well as the environmental quality of the surrounding ecosystems. The theme fits into the gap that is reproduced by modern scientific practice: the insistence on boycotting the body and its senses in the production of knowledge; ignoring the power of this aspect in the experience of both the researcher and the world under investigation. The article aims to present and discuss the sensory and affective approaches as theoretical bases and diagnostic, analysis and evaluation tools linked to the methodological procedures of studies and actions in the context of Sustainable Territorial Development, taking into account a more sensitive and creative approach to the individuals and experiences of a territory. The text begins with a theoretical foundation, drawing attention to the subjectivities of bodily and cognitive experience in the construction of territories, and then addresses relevant aspects of the study of sound and listening that form an overview of the subject; finally, it discusses potential contributions to the territorial approach to development. We believe that listening and  sound environment studies can participate in the recognition and analysis of territorial realities, in order to prospect innovative and sustainable possibilities for territorial development, as well as promoting educational and sensitizing experiences.