Power, Knowledge and Geography

by Derek Gregory

Power, Knowledge and Geography is a uniquely accessible introduction to the most important debates in contemporary geography. Elegantly written and trenchantly expressed, it situates geographical enquiry within an invigorating political and intellectual landscape, and is organized around geography's own conceptual structure. In Part One, Derek Gregory examines the ways in which geographical enquiry relates to intellectual history, philosophy, science, and culture. He then considers how the wider political, social and institutional context of this enquiry may affect the ambitions, methods and content of both human and physical geography. In Part Two, he identifies a series of strategic geographical "sites" - conceptual locations where geographers have done some of their most characteristic work - and explores key moments in their development. Part Three isolates and reveals what the author argues are the most acute intellectual, social, and moral issues facing contemporary geographers, considers how they might be resolved, and outlines the impact of such resolutions on the theory, practice and study of the subject. Each chapter is richly illustrated with substantive examples, and contains capsule summaries of key terms, debates and figures. The book concludes with an annotated guide to further reading and a full index.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007