Territories: The Claiming of Space

Territories are more than simply bounded spaces; they reflect the ways in which we think of geographic space. Territoriality, or laying claim to territory, can be seen as the spatial expression of power, with borders dividing those inside from those outside. The book provides an introduction to the concept of territory, the ways in which ideologies and social practices are manifested in space, the deployment of territorial strategies and the geographical outcomes of these.

This revised and updated third edition focuses on both macro-scale examples and those less obvious micro-scale ones, and it explores how territorial strategies are used in the maintaining of power, or as a means of resistance. Throughout the book, key questions emerge concerning geographic space. Who is allowed to be in particular spaces and who is excluded or discouraged from being there? How are territorial practices utilised in conflicts concerned with socio-political power and identity and how are ideologies transposed onto space?

Written from a geographical perspective, the book is interdisciplinary, drawing on ideas and material from a range of academic disciplines including history, political science, sociology, international relations, and cultural studies. Theoretical underpinnings are supported by a variety of historical and contemporary examples, drawn from a range of geographic contexts.