Ripensare la Ocean Governance. La gestione degli Spazi Marittimi nella prospettiva della “Sociologia Blu”

This article discusses the challenges in ocean governance, viewing the contemporary notion of the ocean as a political-legal construct serving capitalism and neoliberal resource appropriation. It emphasizes that the ocean is a socially constructed entity, shaped by social relations and it challenges the traditional land/sea binary, by highlighting the fluidity between these dimensions, and the role of symbolic exchanges and semantic shifts. The text advocates for a “blue sociology” perspective, connecting macro and micro levels, focusing on social relations, symbolic production, and social innovation. It suggests a Durkheimian interpretation of the sacred in the ocean-society relationship, revealing its generative and ambivalent nature. This “blue sociology” also paves the way for a sacred ecology as opposed to the techno-capitalistic logic, which is critiqued for its profane treatment of the ocean. Finally, the article proposes integrating a sociological perspective that reimagines ocean space in terms of sacredness, emphasizing social relations “with” the sea. It delves into interdisciplinary discussions of blue sociology, the land/sea distinction, and the challenges of ocean governance, highlighting the potential for innovative contributions from a relational perspective