New Zealand Geographer

(2007)

63

, 156–158 10.1111/j.1745-7939.2007.00104.x

© 2007 The AuthorJournal compilation © 2007 The New Zealand Geographical Society Inc. Published by Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

Blackwell Publishing Asia

Book Review

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Emotional geographies

Joyce Davidson, Liz Bondi and Mick Smith(eds). Ashgate Press, Aldershot, 2005. 258 pp.ISBN 0-7546-4375-1.

For some time now, a range of authors haverailed against the detached stance so oftenadopted by geographers. Indeed, prior tothis book, and its immediate antecedents (e.g.Anderson & Smith 2001), emotion was largelytreated with caution, suspicion or disdain withingeography. Voices advocating the acknowledge-ment of our felt worlds and their links to placewere few (e.g. Porteous 1986). Yet a steadyembracing of the qualitative ‘turn’, and therecognition of embodiment brought about byfeminist and health geography, have increas-ingly granted us permission to seek out andconvey people’s feelings in and about places.Further, accounts of research experience haveincreasingly included commentary on whatthe field work has actually felt like.

A consolidation of work within the now-named field of emotional geographies beganwith one-off conference sessions, proceededwith a special issue of

Social and CulturalGeography

and now, after two themed inter-national conferences, has resulted in this book.Such has been the demand that it is being re-printed in paperback. This is a welcomemove.

Why the demand and interest? As theeditors state ‘geography often presents us withan emotionally barren terrain, a world devoidof passion, spaces ordered solely by rationalprinciples’ (p. 1). This is not, they say, becausegeographers and their geographies are emo-tionally sterile; rather ‘the difficulties incommunicating the affective elements atplay in the topographies of everyday life’ haveresulted in avoidance or minimization of‘emotional entanglements’ (p. 2). Thus, ratherthan a new departure, this book represents anauthentication – a permission slip perhaps –

for those many of us for whom emotionsalready have a place in our work, or at least inour sympathies.

The book begins with a closely argued intro-duction that weaves a compelling argument forgeography being concerned for the

affects

aswell as the

effects

of places. Three themes arethen set out that subsequently inform thestructure of the book: the location of emotionsin both bodies and places; the emotional rela-tions between people and environments; andthe task of representing emotional geographies.The 16 substantive chapters that follow arediverse yet related through taking emotionseriously. Geographies of chronic illness anddisability are acknowledged as having been atthe forefront of admitting emotion into researchaccounts and in this volume, chapters onwomen’s responses to hysterectomy and peo-ples’ preference for place of death reflect thisfocus on the body as ‘the place closest in’.

The common theme throughout is that arange of spaces both produce and are pro-duced by emotional life. The blend of socio-logical and geographical imagination is anappealing aspect of this collection. So too is itsmix of authors. The chapters reach across aline-up of both established scholars (e.g. Urry,Philo, Hubbard, Parr) and newer voices. Yetanother bonus is a chapter that wraps up thecollection. Too many edited books end abruptlywith what happens to be the last essay. HereLiz Bondi’s closing essay draws threadstogether arguing ‘that emotions are an in-evitable and necessary aspect of doing research’(p. 243).

While papers can have influence and becomewell-cited, a book can arguably have a greaterimpact through its substance, its visibility (e.g.its distinctive cover) and its message. In thisinstance, Davidson

et al.

’s collection adds avisibility to its set of concerns through the sumbeing greater than the parts. In so doing, socialgeography is invited to confront its humanity

Book Reviews

157

© 2007 The AuthorJournal compilation

© The New Zealand Geographical Society 2007.

more deeply, and health geography is coaxedcloser to the nuanced nature of wellbeing.

Students taking courses in each field(social and health geography) will be richer forembracing the landscapes of the human spiritsuggested by this book. But all who read itshould be warned: this book may change theway you

feel

about geography!

Robin Kearns

School of Geography, Geology andEnvironmental Science

The University of Auckland

References

Anderson K, Smith S (2001). Editorial: emotionalgeographies.

Transactions of the Institute of BritishGeographers

NS

26

, 7–10.Porteous J (1986). Geography as personal art.

Operational Geographer

10

, 43–4.

Living together: Towards inclusive

communities

Michelle Thompson-Fawcett and ClaireFreeman (eds). University of Otago Press,Dunedin, 2006. 240 pp. ISBN 1-8-77372-29-3.

As New Zealand society becomes morediverse, the issue of how to foster inclusivecommunities is attracting growing attention.Media reports regularly address the dynamicsof community harmony and discord, for in-stance, whilst conversations regarding immig-ration and wealth disparities similarly touchupon how we live together. Drawing on recentsocial science research,

Living Together

offersa considered perspective on these challenges.The volume investigates some of the key axesof difference within New Zealand society, whilstalso examining a selection of the strategiesemployed to enhance community wellbeing.The geographical focus is local and national,but reference to international developments ismade at relevant points.

Despite its frequent invocation, the meaningof community can be surprisingly elusive. Theintroductory chapter therefore outlines someof the key dimensions of community, noting

the importance of relational bonds, psychologicalaffiliation, a shared sense of history and, insome cases, connections to place. Guided bylegislation such as the Resource ManagementAct, both government and private sector organ-izations are now routinely expected to engagewith such communities in the course of theirbusiness. The quality of consultation has beenhighly variable, however, with questions suchas ‘what do the community want?’ too oftenassuming a unified group able to speak withone voice. Effective consultation instead needsto recognize the diverse constituencies thatcomprise most geographical communities, whilstalso seeking to include those who are variouslydisenfranchised.

Effective community consultation is dependentupon understanding the group(s) one is seekingto engage. The first part of the collectiontherefore examines some of the key axes ofsocial differentiation in New Zealand. The ini-tial chapters review the political and legislativecontext for community involvement, address-ing the changing role of central government,along with the Treaty of Waitangi and theResource Management Act. We then gaininsight into ethnic diversity and multiculturalism,the socio-economic position of women, thechallenges facing young people and the elderly,and the rise of online communities. Takentogether, these chapters provide an informa-tive window onto diversity in contemporaryNew Zealand.

The second part of the volume, ‘Tools forAchieving Better Communities’, considers aselection of the approaches currently employedto foster healthy and inclusive communities.We start with ‘co-management’, a philosophythat seeks to combine indigenous knowledgeand insight with the predominantly Europeanknowledge embedded in New Zealand plan-ning legislation. Three relatively well-knownapproaches to community involvement indecision-making are then considered, high-lighting advances in each field: participatoryplanning, social impact assessment and com-munity development. We then learn about thesocial challenges associated with the develop-ment of medium- to high-density housing inrecent years, an urban form that remains un-familiar to many New Zealanders. The final sub-stantive chapter draws on M

a

ori conceptions