Territory The Claiming of Space

Politics and political relationships underpin the world we live in. From a geographical perspective, the most obvious manifestation of this is the division of the earth's surface into political-territorial units known as states. There are also less explicit forms of territorialization which occur in more micro-scale contexts. In particular socio-political contexts, groups of people may be excluded from certain places. This book considers the division of space into territories and suggests that the resulting spatial patterns can be seen as consequences of power relationships. The exercise of territorial control often leads to conflict and this volume explores the construction of territories and their contestation using a range of examples drawn from various spatial scales and many different countries. The book provides an introduction to theories of territoriality and the outcomes of territorial control and resistance. It ranges in coverage from conflicts over national territory to divisions of space based around class, gender and race. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on the underlying processes associated with the use of territorial strategies as a means of asserting or resisting power. In doing so it raises important questions relating to place, culture and identity. Each chapter contains boxed case studies, together with illustrations and a guide to further reading. David Storey is Senior Lecturer in Geography at University College WorcesterStorey, David is the author of 'Territory The Claiming of Space', published 2003 under ISBN 9780582327900 and ISBN 0582327903.