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Abstract
Lawhon M., Silver J., Ernstson H. and Pierce J. Unlearning (un)located ideas in the provincialization of urban theory, Regional Studies. Postcolonial scholars have argued for the provincialization of urban knowledge, but doing so remains an opaque process. This paper argues that explicit attention to ‘learning to unlearn’ unstated theoretical assumptions and normativities can aid in provincialization, and demonstrate ways in which theorizing entails a socio-spatial situation. The authors’ efforts to grapple with operationalizing learning to unlearn in three different urban cases are described, followed by an articulation of strategies for theorizing which more explicitly acknowledge theory-building’s situatedness as well as points of reflection for developing postcolonial urban theory. It is argued that this usefully shifts the focus of unlearning from ‘who’ is theorizing ‘where’ towards theory’s unstated norms and assumptions.
Lawhon M., Silver J., Ernstson H. and Pierce J. 扫除城市理论地方化中（无法）定位的概念，区域研究。后殖民学者们主张将城市知识进行地方化，但怎麽做却仍然是个晦涩的过程。本文主张，明确关注 “学习扫除” 未说明的理论预设和规范性，将有助于地方化，并能展示理论化引发社会空间境况的方式。本文描绘作者们在三个不同的城市案例中，对学习扫除的操作化进行掌握之努力，接着说明理论化的策略，这些策略更明确地承认理论建构的情境化，以及发展后殖民城市理论中的反思点。本文主张，这麽做可有效地将扫除之焦点，从 “谁” 在进行理论化 “何处” ，转移至理论未说明的常规与预设。
Lawhon M., Silver J., Ernstson H. et Pierce J. Désapprendre des idées (non-) localisées dans la provincialisation de la théorie urbaine, Regional Studies. Les chercheurs postcoloniaux ont plaidé en faveur de la provincialisation de la connaissance urbaine, mais ce faisant il reste un processus qui manque de clarté. Cet article affirme que prêter une attention explicite à ‘l’apprentissage du désapprentissage’ des suppositions et des normativités théoriques tacites pourrait aider la provincialisation et présente des façons dont la théorisation nécessite une situation socio-spatiale. À partir de trois études de cas urbaines différentes, l’article cherche à decrire les efforts des auteurs pour se débattre avec la mise en oeuvre opérationnelle de l’apprentissage du désapprentissage. Il s’ensuit une articulation des stratégies visant à élaborer les aspects théoriques qui reconnaît de façon plus explicite la contextualisation de la construction théorique ainsi que des points qui méritent une certaine réflexion sur le développement de la théorie urbaine postcoloniale. On affirme que cela déplace utilement le point de mire du désapprentissage de ‘qui’ théorise et ‘où’ vers les normes et les suppositions tacites de la théorie.
Lawhon M., Silver J., Ernstson H. und Pierce J. Verlernen von (nicht) lokalisierten Ideen in der Provinzialisierung der Stadttheorie, Regional Studies. Seitens postkolonialer Wissenschaftler wurde für die Provinzialisierung von urbanem Wissen argumentiert, was in der Praxis jedoch weiterhin einen undurchsichtigen Prozess darstellt. In diesem Beitrag wird argumentiert, dass eine ausdrückliche Konzentration auf das 'Lernen des Verlernens' von nicht genannten theoretischen Annahmen und Normativitäten zur Provinzialisierung beitragen und Methoden aufzeigen kann, in denen die Theoretisierung zu einer sozialräumlichen Situation führt. Wir beschreiben unsere Bemühungen bei der Operationalisierung des Lernens des Verlernens in drei verschiedenen urbanen Fällen und formulieren Strategien zur Theoretisierung, in denen die Situiertheit des Theorieaufbaus sowie die Reflektionspunkte für die Entwicklung einer postkolonialen Stadttheorie ausdrücklicher anerkannt werden. Wir argumentieren, dass hierdurch der Fokus des Verlernens auf nützliche Weise von der Frage, wer wo theoretisiert, hin zu den nicht genannten Normen und Annahmen der Theorie verschoben wird.
Lawhon M., Silver J., Ernstson H. y Pierce J. Desaprender ideas (des)ubicadas en la provincialización de la teoría urbana, Regional Studies. Académicos poscoloniales han argumentado a favor de la provincialización del conocimiento urbano, pero en la práctica sigue siendo un proceso opaco. En este artículo argumentamos que la atención explícita de ‘aprender para desaprender’ las hipótesis teóricas y normatividades no explícitas puede ayudar en la provincialización y demostrar formas en las que la teorización implica una situación socioespacial. Aquí describimos nuestros esfuerzos para llevar a la práctica el proceso de aprender para desaprender en tres casos urbanos diferentes y formulamos estrategias para teorizar de una forma que reconozca de manera más explícita la contextualización en la elaboración de teorías, así como los puntos de reflexión para desarrollar la teoría urbana poscolonial. Debatimos que esto cambia de modo útil el foco del desaprendizaje desde la cuestión de ‘quién’ está teorizando ‘dónde’ hacia normas y suposiciones no explícitas de la teoría.
JEL classification:
Acknowledgment
Dr Mary Lawhon would like to thank the Urban Studies Foundation for supporting this work.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 Such work has not been universally welcomed (Scott and Storper, Citation2015; Peck, Citation2015), but these critiques reassert old concepts without engaging with the essential dimensions of postcolonial critiques of their theories (see Roy, Citation2016 for a more thorough engagement).
2 With Roy (Citation2009, Citation2014), this paper use the term ‘global South’ (and other spatial descriptions) as a temporal category with fluid boundaries, a ‘concept-metaphor’ rather than a spatial container. Theories from the South are a product of particular geo-historical constructs, including but not limited to colonialism and imperialism. Recognizing this ‘Southern’ construct as a series of overlapping social, spatial and temporal moments does not invalidate its utility for generating theory. Instead, ‘the radical instability of the meaning, location and history of the global South must constantly be in view’ (Roy, Citation2014, p. 16). This instability offers a possibility to situate theory without reifying space or losing sight of wider geographies and dynamics.
3 The field of postcolonial studies has periodically grappled with how to interpret the term ‘unlearning’, and in the authors’ reading uncertainly remains regarding Spivak’s intended meaning(s) (e.g., Andreotti, Citation2007; Danius et al., Citation1993; Kapoor, Citation2004; Porter, Citation2004). Rather than engage in this debate, the argument of this paper should be seen as inspired by rather than a direct application of Spivak.
4 For Lawhon, a peripheral positionality growing up in the United States hinterland/flyover country, nearly 10 years of living and working in urban South Africa as well as gendered experiences of harassment in the classroom and on the street have shaped a critical engagement with hegemonic people, places and theories; for her co-authors, it includes working-class and small-town family identities and grappling with the hegemony of the English language.
5 It was this understanding that motivated the authors’ collective thinking and writing project, as well as the development of a wider network of scholars with which conversations have been established. This has included training workshops that explicitly attended to provincialization and methodology, and a collective website in which reflective commentaries were encouraged from scholars internationally. Such diverse publication strategies, the authors suggest, are one possible avenue for public reflections outside the normal academic journal publication process (for more about the collective efforts and biographies, see www.situatedupe.net).
6 A deeper engagement with indigenous epistemologies is one way to enhance this contribution. For example, critical studies of African urban ecologies scholars have used actor–network theory (e.g., Ernstson, Citation2013; Nhamo, Citation2006), yet two key aspects of this framework – interconnection and agency of things – are essential to many indigenous epistemologies and ontologies (Mawere, Citation2014), though often pejoratively sidelined as animism. Rather than wrestle through Northern concepts then apply them to African cases, starting with indigenous epistemologies provides one underexplored strategy.