«Rescaling the European State. The Making of Territory and the Rise of the Meso»

Abstract

Theory Michael Keating DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199691562.003.0001 Abstract and Keywords The modern social sciences have often sought to eliminate territory in the name of universalism. In practice, this has meant reifying the nation-state as the only relevant territorial unit. In geography, there has often been a tendency to territorial determinism. Modern understandings of territory avoid both. Territory is seen not just as geographical space but as a sociological concept. Territories are constructed for various purposes and often contested. There is an argument between relational and ‘territorial’ approaches, the former emphasizing the openness of territories and the latter stressing their boundaries and the way in which they enclose systems. Both perspectives are useful, depending on the question being asked. Rescaling refers to the way in which systems are migrating to new territorial levels