Spatial Questions
Cultural Topologies and Social Spatialisation
- Rob Shields - Sociology, Art and Design, University of Alberta, Canada
"Rob Shields provides here an immensely sophisticated and detailed examination of the topological turn. He has been examining these issues for some decades and this book will surely become the standard work on cultural and spatial topology"
- John Urry, Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology, Lancaster University
Our understanding of space is crucial to the way in which we understand major social problems and issues and the way we develop and maintain our worldviews.
Building from a history of philosophical and geographical theories of space, Shields presents the importance of spatialisation and cultural topology in social theory and the possibilities that lie within these theoretical tools.
Innovative and thought-provoking, this book goes beyond traditional ideas of spatiality and temporality to understand the multiplicity of spatialisations and relates them to everyday life.
'Rob Shields provides here an immensely sophisticated and detailed examination of the topological turn. He has been examining these issues for some decades and this book will surely become the standard work on cultural and spatial topology'
Spatial Questions provides one of the most complete accounts in the recent literature engaging with topology. The reader might be deceived by the apparently slim format, which nevertheless packs material that could easily inform several volumes on the topic. Spatial Questions is a welcome contribution to spatial theory and, given the prominence of the topic nowadays, as well as the hype built around the topological over the past years, the book might equally appeal to geographers and to a broader audience within the social sciences.
Spatial Questions: Cultural Topologies and Social Spatialisation provides an important contribution to the study of topology at large and to those who engage with human geography in particular, coinciding with recent topological discussions in such journals as Progress in Human Geography (2014), Theory, Culture & Society (2012) and Dialogues in Human Geography (2011). As in his previous writings, Shields’ provides a vivid and clear discussion, accessible to a wide range of readers from various disciplines. These undoubtedly will find the call for a ‘topological turn’ valuable and thought provoking.
A welcome contribution to spatial theory... allowing for a new and fresh understanding of “spacing” and the spatialisations that are accomplished through everyday activities, representations and conflicts.
