Conflict and capacity

From Geography

'Conflict and capacity' is one of the four aspects of 'social action', distinguished by Nigel Thrift. This is an important component in contextual regional geography. Conflict and capacity are "two very important aspects of social action for certain groups 'living' in certain regions" (Werlen, 2009, p.6). Conflict is a concept which is taken for granted here, but 'capacity' needs a further explanation. This concept "has to be understood as the ability or the potential of a social group to transform the personality formation of individuals, forms of knowledge, and forms of sociability in and interconnected fashin"(Werlen, 2009, p.6). This quote shows the interdependence of these elements. Discrepancies between these elements will eventually lead till conflicts. Thrift recognises that conflicts and capacity are dynamic. There fore he is interested in the fact what form conflict and capacity take in different different regions and at different times. As well as het is interested in the difference between conflict and capacity in the past in a specific region and whats their form in the present in that region. But although the concept of a region suffered from several critics and conflicts and capacities. Finally Thrift still sees the region as identifiable for everybody and as a homogeneus entity(Werlen, 2009, p.7).

Example of a geographical research question

An example of a geographical research question is already given by Thrift. He asks "what specific form conflict and capacity take in different regions at different times, as well as what form they may take today" (in Werlen, 2009, p.6). A more specific research question could be: what form did conflict and capacity take in Former Yugoslavia and what form do they take today in the new Balkan states?

References

Werlen, B. (2009). Everyday Regionalizations. In: International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.

Contributors

Page created and edited by --JikkeVanTHof 15:33, 3 October 2011 (UTC) Edited by een --MaikVanDeVeen 23:53, 30 December 2012 (CET)