Governmentality, Population and Relational Space

Yongxuan Fu

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Abstract

The change that the concept of territory in the lectures Security, Territory, Population (2007) was replaced by 'the series security—population—government' may be frustrating for researchers concerned with space. This paper, however, argues that it is precisely the replacement that inspires a new understanding of space in contemporary social theories, especially in sociology, which can be confirmed in other parts of the lectures. In other words, instead of being marginalized due to the replacement of the territory, the concept space is highlighted by Foucault through the governmentality and the biopolitics, precisely implying a new spatiality involving disease, population, power, security and knowledge, which will be put on an agenda as the relational sociological perspective to reshape contemporary spatial cognition. Therefore, this paper will discuss the importance of Foucault's thought for a new relational spatial epistemology, rather than merely describing the traditional analysis of the series power—physical space—discipline, and then emphasize its close connection with sociology, especially the thinking of relational sociology. Space should not be taken for granted as a purely objective geographical frame with explicit boundaries. Rather, space is relational in nature and constituted by the iteration of interactive strategies and practices in heterogeneous levels, which shows the social thickness of space in itself and the complex field of power relations.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2021
EventREMAKING THE FUTURE: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2021 -
Duration: 13 Apr 202115 Apr 2021

Conference

ConferenceREMAKING THE FUTURE: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2021
Period13/04/2115/04/21

Keywords

  • Space
  • Governmentality
  • Michel Foucault
  • Relational Sociology

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