Political geography
Political geography at the IGG is structured around the various problematics related to the imbrications of space, power and regulation.
Our world is increasingly urbanized, globalized and mediated by socio-technical systems. People, objects and spaces are controlled and regulated from a distance by a complex set of ‘surveillance’ practices which, for security, administrative, commercial and political purposes, aim to control, to protect, to influence – in short, to manage – everyday life on multiple levels.
Research conducted by the IGG aims to analyse and conceptualize the origins, characteristics and socio-spatial effects of control and regulation technologies and practices, with particular emphasis on two areas: the management and securitization of public urban space, and the problematic of mobility. This leads to a range of questions: What are the actors, factors and interactions underlying current developments in in surveillance matters? How is surveillance used in both institutional contexts and geographical locations? What are the social and spatial effects of surveillance? How are the needs for mobility, security, circulation and surveillance balanced and reconciled in today’s world?
