Geometric turn

From Geography

Revision as of 09:52, 18 October 2012

Geometric turn

When we speak of the geometric turn, we mean the geometric turn in histories of power into histories of social otherness. Chris Philo defines the geometric turn as "the desire to impose simple spatial categories and indeed dualistic oppositions on the historical materials. A glance atMichel Foucault's historical inquiry, reveals his alertness to space, more precise, the way in which spatial relations are always deeply implicated in the historical processes under study (Philo, 2000). He studied the geometries of power that have structured the historical experiences of human populations by projecting a simple geometry of inclusion and exclusion of inside and outside on the history of Western madness. The social world is spatially shaped by certain groups which own the channels of power, they can impose dualistic oppositions (Peet, 1998, p. 231). Foucaults sensitivity to spatial relations, results in the introduction of a geometric turn into histories of social otherness (Philo, 2000).

References

• Peet, R. (1998). Modern geographical thought. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

• Philo, C. (1992). Foucault's geography. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 10(2) 137 – 161

• Philo, C. (2000). Foucault's geography.

Contributors

• page created by Susan Verbeij --SusanVerbeij and --BoudewijnIdema 12:32, 14 September 2011 (UTC)

• Edited by Frank Simons