Geometric turn

From Geography

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. Michel Foucault 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).

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

Contributors

• page created by Susan Verbeij --SusanVerbeij 12:32, 14 September 2011 (UTC)
• page changed by Boudewijn Idema --BoudewijnIdema 11:19, 15 September 2011 (UTC)