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

dthien@geo.ed.ac.ukdthien@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

dthien@geo.ed.ac.ukdthien@geo.ed.ac.uk