Geography, Politics and Security

All Pages in this Section

Geography

Politics

Security

Year reviews

Books, Courses, External links, Quotes

Please check: Education

Introduction and recent updates

Introduction

The Politics and Geography section addresses a broad range of topics with a political and economic nature, including world order, globalisation and international relations.

This section answers questions such as:

What is the role of borders in contemporary geopolitics?
What is International Relations about?
Which concepts could be applied to ethnic-territorial conflicts?

Metageographies and postmodernism

August 2010

Dr Martin W. Lewis is Senior Lecturer in History at Stanford University. His research interests include the historical development of key geographical ideas and environmental politics.

In the interview, dr Lewis discusses the definition, flaws and other features of metageography. He also elaborates on the view of postmodernism in this respect and explains related concepts such as the "fallacy of unit comparability."

Metageographies, postmodernism and fallacy of unit comparability - Martin Lewis

"The notion that the world is bisected in 'The West' and 'The Non-West' is common to certain segments of the left and the right. Those of the right, however, see the West as the font of reason, enlightenment, and all things positive, while those of the left are more inclined to see it in terms of greed, imperialism, and domination."

What is State terrorism?

July 2010

Jonathon Armstrong is currently studying for an MA in Geopolitics, Territory and Security at Kings College London after obtaining a BA in Government at the London School of Economics.

In his contribution, he argues that States can and frequently do commit terrorism, thereby discussing the roles of personal, social and geographic spaces.

State terrorism: definition, geographic spaces and place destruction - Jonathan Armstrong

"The question as to whether a State can commit terrorism rests almost entirely on one’s definition of the phenomenon."

Recommended contributions

Recognition of new states

February 2010

William Worster currently serves as a lecturer at the Hague University and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Dr Worster's contribution provides a legal perspective on the recognition of new states. Addressed issues include sovereignty, statehood and the Montevideo Convention:

Sovereignty: two competing theories of state recognition - William Worster

"The constitutive theory states that recognition of an entity as a state is not automatic. A state is only a state when it is recognized as such and other states have a considerable discretion to recognize or not. Moreover, only upon recognition by those other states does the new state exist, at least in a legal sense."

Stuart Elden on his new book

January 2010

Professor Stuart Elden (Durham University) obtained a BSc (Hons) and PhD at Brunel University. In this interview, he elaborates on his new book, "Terror and Territory: The Spatial Extent of Sovereignty". Why did he start writing the book? Which thinkers have inspired him? And do the conclusions of his book leave room for further research?

Territory, Terror and Sovereignty - Stuart Elden

"Yet territorial integrity in international law, and the UN charter which was continually being referred to, also means territorial sovereignty: the idea that within its boundaries a state is sovereign and no external interference allowed. This was clearly not what was being meant by Bush and Blair."

Michel Foucher about borders

June 2009

Michel Foucher, Professor of geography and geopolitics at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris Ulm) and member of the Council of Foreign Affairs (Paris), discusses the various roles of borders and the influence of borders on security and identity. This interview provides non-French speakers a unique insight into Mr Foucher's ideas which he has thoroughly discussed in numerous French publications:

Borders, security and identity - Michel Foucher