Between sound and noise: Features of urban soundscapes formation

Abstract

Soundscapes of a city as a cultural-symbolic space mediating our perception of sounds and noises are dynamic, changeable and heterogeneous. The way of everyday life, cultural experience, audio-visual texts are consumed outline different trajectories of interaction with sonic environment and make the border between sound and noise quite fluid. This article presents ethnographic data, important for understanding the process of formation of urban soundscapes. The research of St Petersburg soundscapes was conducted by the authors in 2016–2021 demonstrated the possibilities of using such methods as “sound diary” and “sound walk”. The article is based on the analysis of 380 hours of observations made by 38 citizens, data from 19 interviewswalks with people living in 15 different microdistricts are presented. As the results the article represents the specificity of sounds and noises categorization, as well as the role of sonic experience in the formation of patterns of interaction between St Petersburg citizens and the urban environment. The research provides tools for analysing the social and cultural superstructure of the perception of urban sounds and noises, which is possible be of interest to sociologists, urbanists, urban anthropologists, ecologists, and researchers of local communities.