The Catalan sociologist explains the importance of public space for a sociologist. He says that the classroom is his favourite public space because it is a place of relationship and knowledge-sharing in a constantly changing world.

Shared Spaces recorded this conversation with Salvador Cardús in February 2012 when he visited the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Catalonia (CCCB) to speak about “Patience” as part of the lecture series “Virtues” (Barcelona Debate, 2012).

In the interview, Cardús explains why public space is important for a sociologist: it is the main space of social life, which is not to overlook the domestic sphere, which is also within the realm he defines as public space. He says it is very interesting to observe public space, how it is occupied and how people relate with it. It should be made humanising because “we either domesticate space or it devours us”.

Cardús names the classroom as his favourite public pace because “it is a space of relationship and knowledge-sharing, of dialogue and surprise, sometimes of annoyance and sometimes of immense satisfaction. It is a very vital space.” Moreover, he says, the classroom manifests the changes taking place in society, which often occur more quickly than the teacher can adapt: it is a place “where the teacher tests his skills or his virtues, one might say, against the backdrop of a changing world”.