1,206
Views
5
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Conceptualizing and Analyzing Mobility

Mobility Among the Spatialities

&
Pages 266-273 | Received 01 Dec 2014, Accepted 01 Jul 2015, Published online: 02 Mar 2016
 

Abstract

Despite the explosive growth of mobilities research, much sociospatial theory continues to be rooted in a sedentarist perspective, failing to incorporate the insights of this burgeoning field. Mobilities research, in contrast, often considers a variety of sociospatial relations, yet stops short of coherent integration with other dimensions of sociospatiality. In this article, we examine the mobilities turn in light of Jessop, Brenner, and Jones's (Citation2008) TPSN framework, which recognizes the polymorphic nature of sociospatial relations. We discuss the interrelationships between mobility and the four distinct sociospatialities identified by Jessop, Brenner, and Jones: territory (T), place (P), scale (S), and networks (N). Each of these sociospatialities is coimplicated with mobility: Territory concerns the malleable areal and bordered structure of the state and the uneven freedoms granted, and constraints imposed on, objects and bodies as they attempt to move through and across political jurisdictions; place emphasizes the embedded and performative nature of mobility and considers place-appropriate and place-transgressive activity; scale concerns movement associated with the tangled and politicized processes of scale production and examines how mobility is affected by the uneven scaling of power, resources, opportunity, and identity; networks address flows of bodies, objects, and knowledge across space, through specific channels. To illustrate the coimplicated relationships among mobility and territory, place, scale, and networks, we examine the practice of automobility, stressing the ontological contingency of mobility: Neither mobility nor fixity can be assumed. Mobility is, rather, a social, cultural, and political achievement, inherently power-laden and recursively bound up in the production of territory, place, scale, and networks.

尽管能动性研究有着爆炸性的增长, 但社会空间理论多半仍持续根植于固着的视角, 无法纳入此一成长中的领域之洞见。相对而言, 能动性研究经常考量各种社会空间关係, 但却未能达到与社会空间性的其他面向的一致性整合。我们于本文中, 根据杰索普 (Jessop)、布瑞纳 (Brenner) 与琼斯 (Jones) (2008) 的 TPSN 架构来检视能动性转向, 该架构承认社会空间关係的多重形态本质。我们探讨能动性与杰索普、布瑞纳和琼斯所指认的四大特殊社会空间性之间的关联性:领域 (T), 地方 (P), 尺度 (S), 以及网络 (N)。这些社会空间性中的每一项皆与能动性共同有关:领域考量国家具延展性的区域和划界的结构, 以及当物体与身体企图穿越政治管辖范围时, 赋予他们的不均自由和加诸其上的限制;地方强调能动性的镶嵌及展演本质, 并考量适合地方与逾越地方的活动;尺度考量与尺度生产的纠结及政治化过程相关的行动, 并检视能动性如何受到权力、资源、机会和认同的不均尺度化所影响;网络应对身体、物件和知识横跨空间、透过特定管道的流动。为了描绘能动性和领域、地方、尺度及网络之间的共同连结关係, 我们检视汽车能动性的实践, 强调能动性在本体论上的偶然性:能动性或固着性皆无法被预设。更确切而言, 能动性是社会、文化与政治的达成, 本质上是充满权力, 且在递归上与领域、地方、尺度和网络的生产密切相关。

A pesar del crecimiento protuberante de la investigación sobre movilidades, gran parte de la teoría socioespacial se mantiene arraigada dentro de una perspectiva sedentaria, fallando en la incorporación de las perspicacias logradas por este campo en expansión. La investigación de movilidades, en contraste, considera a menudo una variedad de relaciones socioespaciales, aunque no avanza en mayor grado en la integración coherente con las otras dimensiones de la socioespacialidad. En este artículo examinamos el giro de las movilidades a la luz del esquema TLER [TPSN, en inglés] de Jessop, Brenner y Jones (2008), que reconoce la naturaleza polimórfica de las relaciones socioespaciales. Discutimos las interrelaciones entre la movilidad y las cuatro socioespacialidades identificadas por Jessop, Brenner y Jones: territorio (T), lugar (L), escala (E) y redes (R). Cada una de estas socioespacialidades está coimplicada con la movilidad: Al territorio concierne la estructura areal maleable y delimitada del estado, y las desiguales libertades concedidas, lo mismo que las limitaciones impuestas sobre objetos y cuerpos en cuanto estos intentan moverse en y a través de jurisdicciones políticas; el lugar enfatiza la naturaleza incrustada y representacional de la movilidad y considera la actividad apropiada y transgresora en términos de lugar; a la escala concierne el movimiento asociado con los procesos enredados y politizados de la producción de escala y examina cómo se afecta la movilidad por la desigual escala del poder, los recursos, la oportunidad y la identidad; las redes o cadenas se encargan de los flujos de cuerpos, objetos y conocimiento a través del espacio, por medio de canales específicos. Para ilustrar las relaciones coimplicadas entre movilidad y territorio, lugar, escala y redes, examinamos la práctica de automovilidad, destacando la contingencia ontológica de la movilidad: Ni la movilidad ni la fijeza pueden asumirse. Más que nada, la movilidad es un logro social, cultural y político, inherentemente cargado de poder y recursivamente atado a la producción de territorio, lugar, escala y redes.

Note

Notes

1 Elden (Citation2010) argued that “boundaries only become possible in their modern sense through a [territorial] notion of space, rather than the other way round” (13).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Byron Miller

BYRON MILLER is an Associate Professor of Geography and Coordinator of the Urban Studies Program at the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]. His recent work focuses on the spatial constitution of social movements, urban governance and governmentality, and the politics of urban sustainability.

Jason Ponto

JASON PONTO is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include governmentality studies, the politics of transportation, and the practices of urban cycling.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 312.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.