how space got its groove back: geography and poststructuralism deborah thien university of edinburgh...
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How Space got How Space got its groove back:its groove back:
Geography and Geography and PoststructuralismPoststructuralism
Deborah Thien Deborah Thien University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh
[email protected]@geo.ed.ac.uk
SPACE?SPACE?
Doreen Massey (1992: 66) argues Doreen Massey (1992: 66) argues that a discussion about what “space” that a discussion about what “space” is “never surfaces [within is “never surfaces [within geography] because everyone geography] because everyone assumes we already know what the assumes we already know what the term means”. term means”.
Lecture OutlineLecture Outline
Review of three taken for granted Review of three taken for granted understandings of spaceunderstandings of space
Introduction to poststructuralismIntroduction to poststructuralism Discussion of three ways in which Discussion of three ways in which
geographers have made use of geographers have made use of poststructuralism to reformulate poststructuralism to reformulate notions of spacenotions of space
Space: Space: 3 dominant dualistic 3 dominant dualistic
understandingsunderstandings
1.1. Timeless spaceTimeless space
2.2. Meaningless spaceMeaningless space
3.3. Empty space Empty space
Timeless SpaceTimeless Space
Space versus timeSpace versus time
Meaningless spaceMeaningless space
Space versus Space versus placeplace
Yi Fu Tuan (1974) Yi Fu Tuan (1974) TopophiliaTopophilia
Edward Relph Edward Relph (1776) (1776) Place and Place and placelessnessplacelessness
Mark AugMark Augé (1995) é (1995) Non-placesNon-places
Empty SpaceEmpty Space
Absolute versus relative Absolute versus relative spacespace
CriticismsCriticisms
(Timeless) (Timeless) Space is staticSpace is static (Meaningless) (Meaningless) Space is divorced Space is divorced
from human from human meaning and meaning and human lifehuman life
(Empty) (Empty) Space can be containedSpace can be contained
PoststructuralismPoststructuralism
Some important aspects: Some important aspects: Not identical to postmodernismNot identical to postmodernism A reaction against structuralismA reaction against structuralism Emphasis on fluidity Emphasis on fluidity Emphasis on subjectivityEmphasis on subjectivity Emphasis on relationality Emphasis on relationality
Not identical to Not identical to postmodernism, but relatedpostmodernism, but related ““The present epoch will perhaps be The present epoch will perhaps be
above all the epoch of space. We are in above all the epoch of space. We are in the epoch of simultaneity… of the epoch of simultaneity… of juxtaposition … of the near and far, of the juxtaposition … of the near and far, of the side-by-side, of the dispersed. We are at side-by-side, of the dispersed. We are at a moment … when our experience of the a moment … when our experience of the world is less that of a long life developing world is less that of a long life developing through time than that of a network that through time than that of a network that connects points and intersects with its connects points and intersects with its own skein” (Foucault 1986). own skein” (Foucault 1986).
A Reaction against A Reaction against Structuralism and Structuralism and
Emphasis on FluidityEmphasis on Fluidity• A movement away from ‘fixing’ and ‘bounding’ A movement away from ‘fixing’ and ‘bounding’
identities and placesidentities and places
• Deconstruction: identifying differences in Deconstruction: identifying differences in meaningsmeanings
• A challenge to the dualistic understandings of A challenge to the dualistic understandings of spacespace
• An insistence on the fluidity and dynamism of An insistence on the fluidity and dynamism of identities (subjectivities) and socio-spatial identities (subjectivities) and socio-spatial relations relations
SubjectivitySubjectivity
Subjectivity: being and becoming a Subjectivity: being and becoming a subjectsubject
"Subjectivities are not abstract "Subjectivities are not abstract entities; they are always conducted entities; they are always conducted in situin situ" (Probyn 2003: 293)." (Probyn 2003: 293).
Space as relationalSpace as relational Instead … of thinking of places as areas
with boundaries around, they can be imagined as articulated movements in networks of social relations and understandings, but where a large proportion of those relations, experiences and understandings are constructed on a far larger scale than what we happen to define for that moment as the place itself, whether that be a street, or a region or even a continent (Massey 1997: 322).
Poststructural Poststructural reformulations of Spacereformulations of Space
Paradoxical spaceParadoxical space Geographies of subjectionGeographies of subjection Emotional geographiesEmotional geographies
Paradoxical SpaceParadoxical Space
Moves away from “knowable” space to Moves away from “knowable” space to challenge the “transparent space” of “social-challenge the “transparent space” of “social-scientific masculinity” (G. Rose, 1993: 40scientific masculinity” (G. Rose, 1993: 40))
Space “is practised, a matrix of play, Space “is practised, a matrix of play, dynamic and iterative, its forms and shapes dynamic and iterative, its forms and shapes produced through the citational performance produced through the citational performance of self-other relations. Which is not to say of self-other relations. Which is not to say that space is infinitely plastic. Certain forms that space is infinitely plastic. Certain forms of space tend to recur, their repetition a sign of space tend to recur, their repetition a sign of power”. (Rose 1996: 59) of power”. (Rose 1996: 59)
Geographies of Geographies of subjectionsubjection
The End of Capitalism (as we knew it) The End of Capitalism (as we knew it) (1996) J.K. Gibson-Graham(1996) J.K. Gibson-Graham
Julie Graham and Katherine Gibson. Julie Graham and Katherine Gibson. ““If capitalism/man can be understood as If capitalism/man can be understood as
multiple and specific; if it is not a unity but multiple and specific; if it is not a unity but a heterogeneity, not a sameness but a a heterogeneity, not a sameness but a difference; if it is always becoming what it difference; if it is always becoming what it is not; if it incorporates difference within its is not; if it incorporates difference within its decentered being; then decentered being; then noncapitalism/woman is released from its noncapitalism/woman is released from its singular and subordinate status” (Gibson-singular and subordinate status” (Gibson-Graham 1996: 44). Graham 1996: 44).
Emotional Geographies Emotional Geographies
'acknowledges the emotions "as 'acknowledges the emotions "as ways of knowing, being and doing in ways of knowing, being and doing in the broadest sense; and using this to the broadest sense; and using this to take geographical take geographical knowledges...beyond their more knowledges...beyond their more usual visual, textual and linguistic usual visual, textual and linguistic domains" (Anderson and Smith domains" (Anderson and Smith 2001: 8).2001: 8).
Geography transformedGeography transformed
From “maps and chaps” to “the From “maps and chaps” to “the sexiest academic subject of them all” sexiest academic subject of them all” (Terry Eagleton 1997).(Terry Eagleton 1997).
How Space got How Space got its groove back:its groove back:
Geography and Geography and PoststructuralismPoststructuralism
Deborah Thien Deborah Thien University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh
[email protected]@geo.ed.ac.uk