Well, since most people seemed so peeved at the exchanges of a few months
back, I retired in offended silence. I suspect much of the lack of
discussion is because a lot of people feel alienaed or generally can't be
bothered to engage with the rarified terminology that gets bandied about.
For those of you who have missed the witty banter that passes for academic
discussion this past month, here's a thought off the top of my head (i.e.
like most of mine)...
Recent developments in cultural geography have foregrounded the neglect and
marginalisation of non-mainstream social groups, modes of subjectivity,
epistemolgies and Theory. In the long list of 'marginal' and 'deviant'
topics, however, I have yet to see anyone actively championing the cause of
FASCIST GEOGRAPHIES. I suppose those who are self-consciously geography
would argue that mainstream geography is implicitly fascist anyway, but the
point is still valid: where are those fascist geographers? I make the point
only half-jokingly - if those who trumpet 'death to the enlightenment
project and meta-narratives' and welcome to relativism REALLY believe this,
then there should be space in the critical academcy for the right as well
as the left...
As fo the definition of Crit Geog given in the Dict. of Human Geography, I
have seldom seen such an elitist and exclusionary definition of a project...
"diverse" = suppression of homogeneity. I say, three cheers for blandness
and uniformity!,
"rapidly changing" = unconsious reproduction of third way and globalising
ideology. I say, three cheers for slowness and stability!
"shared commitment" = bit difficult this one, since the New Radical Left is
caught in a schizophrenic double bind whereupon it challenges
para-prolatariat solidarities but at the same time deconstructs them, so
I'll let it pass;
"emancipatory politics" = aw sheesh, after Foucault and Derrida and Butler
and Rose an' all, how could anyone be so naive as to imagine there is any
such thing? Three cheers for the disciplinary society!
"progressive social change" = but I thought we'd done away with the idea of
progress...
Those of you who have read this far get the picture.
GG
At 12:39 PM 5/1/01 +0100, you wrote:
>I couldn't agree more with Fraser's comments from yesterday. A brief look
>at the Forum's archive from last month shows that, of the 59 messages sent
>to the list, around 40 were advertisements of various sorts - conferences,
>jobs, books and so on (and I realise I was responsible for at least one of
>these myself). Clearly the list acts as a useful dissemination point for
>such information, and I would hope that it continues to do so. Also in the
>recent past a number of thought-provoking contributions have been made with
>reference to various topical issues (foot and mouth, Bush etc. etc.) but
>have generally failed to provoke much response.
>
>To take things back to basics, the Dictionary of Human Geography tells us
>that critical human geography is 'a diverse and rapidly changing set of
>ideas and practices within human geography linked by a shared commitment to
>emancipatory politics within and beyond the discipline, to the promotion of
>progressive social change and to the development of a broad range of
>critical theories and their application in geographical research and
>political practice.' (p. 126). For suggested reading in this section, the
>dictionary suggests the archive of this very Forum!
>
>Surely the list can, once again, be put to wider good use, once more moving
>beyond the mundane and towards the critical?
>
>
>Chris
>
>
>
>>What has happened to CGF? After five years, do the people who set it up feel
>>content that it has become merely a list for the exchange of job adverts and
>>calls for papers?
>>
>>It is incredible (maybe not?) that there has been absolutely no discussion
>>of Mayday Monopoly (apart from Keith Halfacree's bulletins - thanks Keith).
>>And yet the media is awash with articles substantively written by the
>>Metropolitan Police who are pre-justifying all manner of aggressive tactics.
>>For those of us who can't make it, it would be good to read accounts from
>>the participants. Good wishes to all geographers who are going: may you all
>>land on Free Parking and not Go To Jail.
>>
>>Fraser MacDonald
>
>
>------------
>Christopher Bear
>[log in to unmask]
>
>F58 EW
>Department of Geography and Environment
>University of Aberdeen
>Elphinstone Road
>Aberdeen
>AB24 3UF
>
>Telephone (office): +44-(0)1224-273491
>Fax: +44-(0)1224-272331
>
>URL: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/geography/cbear.hti
>
>
Graham Gardner
Institute of Geography & Earth Sciences
University of Wales
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3DB
Wales
UK
Tel: 0044 (0)1970 622606
Fax: 0044 (0)1970 622659
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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