Reconsidering geography and power: policy ensembles, spatial knowledge, and the quest for consistent imagination
Kuupäev
2014-11-18
Autorid
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Abstrakt
Väitekirja põhihuvi on selgitada, kuidas võimuinstitutsioonid kasutavad geograafilist teadmist ruumiliste poliitikate kujundamisel. Uurimustöö argumendid tuginevad seisukohal, mille järgi ruumiliste poliitikate tõhusus on sõltuvuses kasutatava geograafilise teadmise funktsionaalsest, kontseptuaalsest ja ideoloogilisest sidususest. Väitekiri koosneb neljast teemakohasest uurimusest (Eesti ruumilise identiteedi kujundamine ajaloo- ja geograafiaõpikute tootmise protsessis; Eesti maakondade staatuse visioneerimine teostamata jäänud haldus-territoriaalses reformis aastatel 1997–2003; Balti solidaarsuse argumenteerimine Eesti-Läti riigipiiri taastamise ja piirirežiimi kujundamise protsessis, ning Haparanda (Rootsi) ja Tornio (Soome) piirilinnade rahvusvahelise identiteedi kujundamine).
Väitekirja uurimused kinnitavad, et geograafilise teadmise kasutamine ruumiliste poliitikate kujundamisel on tihti vastuoluline, ja poliitikate eesmärke nõrgalt toetav. Võimuinstitutsioonid ei pööra piisavalt tähelepanu institutsionaalse koordineerimise ja strateegilise lähenemise vajalikkusele poliitikate ruumilisel mõtestamisel. Poliitilised agendad ja strateegiad sisaldavad harva viiteid või juhiseid, kuidas tagada geograafilise teadmise kontseptuaalne ja ideoloogiline sidusus poliitikates. Lisaks toovad juhtumuuringud välja kolm olulist tegurit, mille mõju geograafilise mõtestamise tõhususele poliitikate kujundamisel kaldutakse sageli alahindama: kaasamine teadmise mõtestamise protsessi (kes ja millistel tingimustel osalevad), teadmise ajakohastamine (kui poliitikate eesmärgid reformiprotsessi käigus muutuvad või teisenevad) ning teadmise kaalutletud vahendamine (arvestamine ruumiliste poliitikate mõjudega).
Usually, geographical knowledge is linked to policy shaping by means of a number of governance technologies, such as mapping, spatial statistics, storytelling, and visualisation. In order to support particular policy goals, these technologies are filled with conceptualised, politically and ideologically integrated forms of geographical knowledge that we call spatial imaginations. The process of spatial or geographical imagination is an important part of all policies that seek spatial re-organisation of social structures and power relations. In this thesis, the coherence of such spatial imaginations is studied. The thesis consists of four case studies that focus on the production of Estonian history and geography textbooks, efforts to reform the status of provinces in the Estonian administrative-territorial system, reasoning for Estonian national interests in Estonian-Latvian border negotiations, and initiatives to build a cross-border region between the cities of Haparanda (Sweden) and Tornio (Finland). Drawing on the four case studies, two main conclusions are made. Firstly, inconsistencies in the use of geographical knowledge in policy shaping often proceed from weak strategic visioning and a lack of coordination and cooperation between responsible institutions. The understanding that geographical knowledge is not just an optional set of spatial facts but that it has a constitutive role to play in the formation of social reality (and thus also policy shaping) rarely finds its way into policy strategies and agendas. Therefore, the responsible institutions and subjects have no direct instructions or advice to take into account ideological coherence and the conceptual integrity of geographical knowledge in the process of policy formation. This often results in controversial and disintegrated spatial imagination that gives rise to inefficient policies and the reproduction of spatial injustice more generally. Secondly, the studies also exposed that even if the need for consistent and coherent geographical knowledge is taken seriously, the contextual aspects of imagination, such as access (who and to what extent they could be included in the process), actuality (what could be the optimal time-span in which knowledge would support particular policy goals effectively) and reception (what kind of interests the people, institutions, or governments that are affected by these policies would have) still remain largely overlooked by policy makers.
Usually, geographical knowledge is linked to policy shaping by means of a number of governance technologies, such as mapping, spatial statistics, storytelling, and visualisation. In order to support particular policy goals, these technologies are filled with conceptualised, politically and ideologically integrated forms of geographical knowledge that we call spatial imaginations. The process of spatial or geographical imagination is an important part of all policies that seek spatial re-organisation of social structures and power relations. In this thesis, the coherence of such spatial imaginations is studied. The thesis consists of four case studies that focus on the production of Estonian history and geography textbooks, efforts to reform the status of provinces in the Estonian administrative-territorial system, reasoning for Estonian national interests in Estonian-Latvian border negotiations, and initiatives to build a cross-border region between the cities of Haparanda (Sweden) and Tornio (Finland). Drawing on the four case studies, two main conclusions are made. Firstly, inconsistencies in the use of geographical knowledge in policy shaping often proceed from weak strategic visioning and a lack of coordination and cooperation between responsible institutions. The understanding that geographical knowledge is not just an optional set of spatial facts but that it has a constitutive role to play in the formation of social reality (and thus also policy shaping) rarely finds its way into policy strategies and agendas. Therefore, the responsible institutions and subjects have no direct instructions or advice to take into account ideological coherence and the conceptual integrity of geographical knowledge in the process of policy formation. This often results in controversial and disintegrated spatial imagination that gives rise to inefficient policies and the reproduction of spatial injustice more generally. Secondly, the studies also exposed that even if the need for consistent and coherent geographical knowledge is taken seriously, the contextual aspects of imagination, such as access (who and to what extent they could be included in the process), actuality (what could be the optimal time-span in which knowledge would support particular policy goals effectively) and reception (what kind of interests the people, institutions, or governments that are affected by these policies would have) still remain largely overlooked by policy makers.
Kirjeldus
Märksõnad
geopoliitika, poliitiline geograafia, geopolitics, political geography