In the territory of knowledge: State-centred discourses and the construction of society

Abstract

The concept of society is of fundamental importance in social science research. Yet there is little explicit theorization among the mainstream social sciences of how society should be conceived of geographically. The dominant tendency is to take a state-territorial definition of society for granted. While an increasing reflexivity has recently emerged regarding the relationship between social science discourses and the states' agency and projects, the role of state territorial boundaries in structuring the production of knowledge of society has not received equal attention. This article seeks to make a contribution to ongoing work which focuses explicitly on the interrelationships between governmental practice, bodies of knowledge, and territory.