Critical scale construction in geography

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the discussions and conceptualisations on the concept of scale in the critical human geography period within the context of Anglo-American geography. In addition, the study aims to contribute to the conceptual debates in Turkey on the concept of scale, which has a history of approximately 50 years in the international literature. In the period between 1980-1990, the debates on the concept were shaped by the political economy tradition. In the 1990s-2000s, on the other hand, in addition to political economy, the impact of social reproduction and consumption processes on the production of scale is emphasised. In this period, households and the body were added to the scale distinctions of the first period (local, regional, national and global). After the 2000s, conceptualisations of scale have become more questioned. In addition to the hierarchical scale theory emphasised in previous periods, actor-network theory was also used to explain the social construction of scale. In addition, in this period, studies adopting a post-structuralist approach criticising dialectical scale conceptualisations started to be conducted.

Keywords

• Production of scale
• Critical human geography
• Epistemological category
• Ontological approach
• Social construction of scale

Coğrafyada Ölçeğe İlişkin Eleştirel Perspektifler ve Teorik Tartışmalar

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, eleştirel beşeri coğrafya döneminde ölçek kavramı üzerine yapılan tartışmaları ve kavramlaştırmaları Anglo-Amerikan coğrafyacılığı kapsamında incelemektir. Ayrıca çalışma, uluslararası literatürde yaklaşık 50 yıllık bir geçmişe sahip olan ölçek kavramına ilişkin, Türkiye'deki kavramsal tartışmalara da katkı sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır Yapılan çalışmaları üç dönemde incelemek mümkündür. 1980-1990 arası dönemde kavrama ilişkin tartışmalar ekonomi politik geleneği tarafından şekillendirilmiştir. 1990-2000'li yıllarda ise ölçeğin üretiminde ekonomi politiğin yanı sıra toplumsal yeniden üretim ve tüketim süreçlerinin etkisi üzerinde durulmaktadır. Bu dönemde, ilk dönemdeki ölçek ayrımlarına (yerel, bölgesel, ulusal ve küresel) hane ve beden de eklenmiştir. 2000'li yıllardan sonra ölçek kavramlaştırmaları daha fazla sorgulanır hale gelmiştir. Önceki dönemlerde vurgulanan hiyerarşik ölçek teorisine ek olarak aktör-ağ teorisi de ölçeğin sosyal inşasını açıklamak için kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca bu dönemde diyalektik ölçek kavramlaştırmalarını eleştiren post-yapısalcı yaklaşımı benimseyen çalışmalar da yapılmaya başlanmıştır.

Keywords

• Ölçeğin üretimi
• Eleştirel beşeri coğrafya
• Epistemolojik kategori
• Ontolojik yaklaşım
• Ölçeğin sosyal inşası

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