Robert Sommer
Encyclopedia
Robert Sommer is Distinguished Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, Davis. An Environmental Psychologist who has written 14 books and over 600 journal articles, he may be best known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design (1969), which discusses the influence of the environment on human activities.
"[Man] will adapt to hydrocarbons in the air, detergents in the water, crime in the streets, and crowded recreational areas. Good design becomes a meaningless tautology if we consider that man will be reshaped to fit whatever environment he creates. The long-range question is not so much what sort of environment we want, but what sort of man we want." ~ Robert Sommer
Sommer's consulting work includes the design of bicycle paths, residence halls, geriatric housing, airports, offices, prisons, farmers' markets, and other facilities. He has also received a number of awards including: City-University Research Award, City of Davis; Research Award, California Alliance for the Mentally Ill; Career Research Award, Environmental Design Research Association; Kurt Lewin Award, Division 9 APA; Fulbright Award to Estonia, USSR; President-Elect 1998-9, President 1999-2000, APA Div. 34, Doctorem Honoris Causa, and Tallinn Pedagogical University.
, a psychiatrist who researched hallucinogens. Osmond coined the term psychedelic
and also worked in mental hospitals researching social environments and how they affect recovery.
Some scholars see Environmental Psychology as strictly a sub-discipline of Psychology or Social Psychology; others see it as an entirely interdisciplinary study. Sommer views it as both a sub-discipline within the behavioral sciences as well as an interdisciplinary study that involves a variety of disciplines and professions to implement. This view of the discipline is reflected in his writing style. His book Personal Space is highly readable. Though it was not specifically written for people outside the field of Environmental Psychology, the absence of technical jargon makes it accessible to those designers or architects who have the ability to influence building design.
Sommer makes the distinction between personal space and territory: "The concepts of 'personal space' can be distinguished from that of 'territory' in several ways. The most important difference is that personal space is carried around while territory is relatively stationary. The animal or man will usually mark the boundaries of his territory so that they are visible to others, but the boundaries of personal space are invisible. Personal space has the body as its center, while territory does not. Often the center of territory is the home of the animal or man. Animals will usually fight to maintain dominion over their territory but will withdraw if others intrude into their personal space."
Sommer may be best known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, first published in 1969, in which he argues that buildings should be built first for function (the usefulness to the user), not form (how it looks). The book is divided into two sections: the first section is theoretical, and the second section concerns methods and their applications. In addition to this book, Sommer has written many articles on personal space as well.
On Learning And The Classroom
Another theme in Sommer's research is the structure of the classroom and how it affects learning. As a high school student, Sommer himself experienced the difficulty of learning in a classroom where he was unable to see the blackboard due to the poor design of the room. He writes that he struggled in the class until, later in the semester, it moved to a new room where he got a front row seat. There, he could see the blackboard and his "grades improved markedly". Sommer devotes a chapter to the effect of classroom structure on learning in his book Personal Space, and has also written many journal articles on the topic as well.
Though the 1960s and 70s were a time of innovation in educational curricula, teaching methods, and classrooms, there was not much thought given to the physical environment of the classroom and how it might affect learning. Sommer introduced two important terms in his book Tight Spaces: Hard Architecture and How to Humanize It. First, the "open classroom", which he describes as being a "more informally arranged and less rigidly structured space", and "open education", a loosening of the current social hierarchy in education where teachers are strictly the sources of knowledge and students only learners. Sommer states that though the addition of "open classrooms" cannot increase student participation without there also being an environment of "open education", no shift in hierarchy is likely without a change in the construction or arrangement of the classrooom.
The Soft Classroom is an article written by Sommer and Olsen describing a study they conducted on the impact of classroom design on learning. It describes the difference in student participation observed in two differently arranged classrooms.
"[Man] will adapt to hydrocarbons in the air, detergents in the water, crime in the streets, and crowded recreational areas. Good design becomes a meaningless tautology if we consider that man will be reshaped to fit whatever environment he creates. The long-range question is not so much what sort of environment we want, but what sort of man we want." ~ Robert Sommer
Life and Career
Robert Sommer was born April 26, 1929, in New York City. He received his PH.D. from the University of Kansas in 1956 and after teaching in Sweden and the University of Alberta, he arrived at the University of California, Davis. At Davis, he chaired three departments: The Department of Environmental Design (1991-1994), The Department of Rhetoric & Communication (1994-95), and The Department of Art (1997-2000) and is now a Distinguished Professor of Psychology Emeritus (since 2003). Though he may be best known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, first published in 1969, he has written 14 other books and more than 600 journal publications on a variety of subjects. His writings on environmental psychology include research in mental hospitals, libraries, classrooms, and living space. Sommer also has a fun side: he has written a number of articles on mushrooms, and his work has appeared in the journal Worm Runner's Digest, which publishes scientific papers alongside satirical articles.Sommer's consulting work includes the design of bicycle paths, residence halls, geriatric housing, airports, offices, prisons, farmers' markets, and other facilities. He has also received a number of awards including: City-University Research Award, City of Davis; Research Award, California Alliance for the Mentally Ill; Career Research Award, Environmental Design Research Association; Kurt Lewin Award, Division 9 APA; Fulbright Award to Estonia, USSR; President-Elect 1998-9, President 1999-2000, APA Div. 34, Doctorem Honoris Causa, and Tallinn Pedagogical University.
Thought
Sommer was influenced by his studies on environmental psychology with Dr. Humphry OsmondHumphry Osmond
Humphry Fortescue Osmond was a British psychiatrist known for inventing the word psychedelic and for using psychedelic drugs in medical research...
, a psychiatrist who researched hallucinogens. Osmond coined the term psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
and also worked in mental hospitals researching social environments and how they affect recovery.
Some scholars see Environmental Psychology as strictly a sub-discipline of Psychology or Social Psychology; others see it as an entirely interdisciplinary study. Sommer views it as both a sub-discipline within the behavioral sciences as well as an interdisciplinary study that involves a variety of disciplines and professions to implement. This view of the discipline is reflected in his writing style. His book Personal Space is highly readable. Though it was not specifically written for people outside the field of Environmental Psychology, the absence of technical jargon makes it accessible to those designers or architects who have the ability to influence building design.
Works
On Personal SpaceSommer makes the distinction between personal space and territory: "The concepts of 'personal space' can be distinguished from that of 'territory' in several ways. The most important difference is that personal space is carried around while territory is relatively stationary. The animal or man will usually mark the boundaries of his territory so that they are visible to others, but the boundaries of personal space are invisible. Personal space has the body as its center, while territory does not. Often the center of territory is the home of the animal or man. Animals will usually fight to maintain dominion over their territory but will withdraw if others intrude into their personal space."
Sommer may be best known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, first published in 1969, in which he argues that buildings should be built first for function (the usefulness to the user), not form (how it looks). The book is divided into two sections: the first section is theoretical, and the second section concerns methods and their applications. In addition to this book, Sommer has written many articles on personal space as well.
On Learning And The Classroom
Another theme in Sommer's research is the structure of the classroom and how it affects learning. As a high school student, Sommer himself experienced the difficulty of learning in a classroom where he was unable to see the blackboard due to the poor design of the room. He writes that he struggled in the class until, later in the semester, it moved to a new room where he got a front row seat. There, he could see the blackboard and his "grades improved markedly". Sommer devotes a chapter to the effect of classroom structure on learning in his book Personal Space, and has also written many journal articles on the topic as well.
Though the 1960s and 70s were a time of innovation in educational curricula, teaching methods, and classrooms, there was not much thought given to the physical environment of the classroom and how it might affect learning. Sommer introduced two important terms in his book Tight Spaces: Hard Architecture and How to Humanize It. First, the "open classroom", which he describes as being a "more informally arranged and less rigidly structured space", and "open education", a loosening of the current social hierarchy in education where teachers are strictly the sources of knowledge and students only learners. Sommer states that though the addition of "open classrooms" cannot increase student participation without there also being an environment of "open education", no shift in hierarchy is likely without a change in the construction or arrangement of the classrooom.
The Soft Classroom is an article written by Sommer and Olsen describing a study they conducted on the impact of classroom design on learning. It describes the difference in student participation observed in two differently arranged classrooms.
Contents
- 1 Life and Career
- 2 Thought
- 3 Bibliography
- 4 See also
- 5 References
- 6 External links