On The Social Construction Of Ocean Space

Space，which has not just been a physical, natural space, through theconstruction of human society, has become a social，political and economic space,having a certain value and social meanings. So is the ocean space.The ocean spaceis not just a different geographic environment with land space, but an economicspace for all countries and a focus space for international political competition. Inthis sense，the ocean society is an intenrational society. Constructivism takes theinternational relaitons research into the sociology, which see the internationalrelations as one of the social relations.The ocean space is an economic space. China’s Zheng he’s voyage and westerngeographical discovery is two big sailing movements in the history, having entirelydifferent effects to the later era. The basic reason is that the zheng he’s voyage was apolitical activities, not aim to the economic interests, while the western sailingmovement’s irse, is to look for the market and gain economic beneifts from thebeginning. The market mechanism makes the ocean space become a key space ofworld system with expansion and development. The ocean space is also a politicalspace. In recent years, many countries formulate the ocean strategy, in order toexploit and utilize the ocean resources step by step, more reasonably andenvironmental rfiendly. Ensure its maritime rights and interests, the countries alsolaunched a fierce race. The market mechanism makes the ocean space become animportant space of the international political structure with formation and changes.The market mechanism is inner driver to promote the social construction of theocean space into internationalization.Commercial power is always one of the social forces in the ocean space.Business activity is an economic activity which takes the market mechanism for theprinciple.In the promotion of the market mechanism, the Mediterranean coastbecame the original area of ocean civilization, through the overseas plunder andcolonial. As an expansion platform, the ocean space becomes the most important source of capital primitive accumulation. With ocean transportation development, theinternational trade was irsing, conversely, international trade rise also promote thedevelopment of maritime transport. As a transportation platform, the ocean spacebecomes essential part of the international trade. In order to the future development，the countries pay more attention to diversity in the process of exploiting and utilizingocean resources, such as sea touirsm and the coastal economic construction. As adevelopment platform, the ocean space is a potential space in the future.Military power is also one of the social forces in the ocean space. Firstly theocean space is a force field, which is full of Military competition，to maintainmaritime rights and interests and ensure the safety of the sea space. In addition, theocean space is a battlefield. In the past, the rise and fall of the Marine powers hadhigh relations with its success in the sea war. Recently, the military exercise at seaoccurs frequently, aiming to control the ocean space. The ocean can provide moreavailable resources and a wider space to ensure the country developed better andfaster.The social construction of ocean space is similar to the social construction ofland space，as a repeat and extension. Through The social construction of oceanspace, we can see the real situations of international society. At the same time, thesocial construction of ocean space is an assimilaiton process，which is fromheterogeneous space to homogeneous space. Although this process is ofil ofcontradictions, the necessary conflict can bring the renewal of social structure. Theocean space is a potential space which can cause social changes. Nowadays, socialconstruction of ocean space faces some serious challenges, such as Marineenvironmental risk, the delimitation of the ocean conflicts. How to ensure a peacefuland harmonic way to utilize the ocean is an important question, which need to builda new order. With the new Marine powers rising, we should work together to build apeaceful, security, and sustainable, harmonic marine society.