Questioning Planetary Illiberal Geographies
Territory, Space and Power
Edited by Jason Luger, Northumbria University Newcastle, United Kingdom
This book engages with current debates on ‘planetary urbanization’ and the nature of urban political theory but notably considers the implications of illiberalism on space, territory, and power. Such a focus is timely, as illiberalism (across various settings and terrains) is producing, and embedded in, increasingly complex, hybrid, multi-scalar, non-linear, and globally networked flows.
Through ordinary explorations drawn from diverse empirical case studies (China, the United States, India, South Korea, and Singapore) and via mixed methodologies, the chapters in this volume seek to advance theory that moves beyond assumptions and certainties of what illiberalism is, how and where it operates, what it looks like, and how it is experienced and embodied in different contexts, offline and online. Chapters critically reflect upon themes like authoritarianism and the spatialization of illiberal power, from the grassroots up to national governments, and stress the need to move beyond normative understandings and portrayals of these terms and concepts. Presciently, this volume looks back on recent history, pre-dating the Covid-19 pandemic and some of the shocking political transformations now underway: as such, the chapters offer a valuable lens to critically consider issues like public health policies, surveillance and policing, borders and bordering, and activism and resistance.
The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Territory, Politics, Governance.
More details on the book can be found here.
Forthcoming Webinar
Registration is open for the free RSA webinar on this book which is scheduled for 22nd February 2023, 14.00 GMT, 15.00 CET. More details can be found here.
About the Book Series
In today’s globalised, knowledge-driven and networked world, regions and cities have assumed heightened significance as the interconnected nodes of economic, social and cultural production, and as sites of new modes of economic governance and policy experimentation. The Regions and Cities book series brings together incisive and critically engaged international and interdisciplinary research on this resurgence of regions and cities, and should be of interest to geographers, economists, sociologists, political scientists and cultural scholars, as well as to policy-makers involved in regional and urban development.
Book Discount for RSA members:
RSA members benefit from a 30% discount on all subject-related Taylor and Francis Books including Routledge. To get this discount, please log in to RSA Lounge and click on “Member Discounts” for more details.
Non-members can receive a 20% discount with this flyer: Discount Flyer Questioning Planetary Illiberal Geographies