Simon Barrett, Information Systems Development Officer, London Borough of Hounslow, London, UK
RR
2004/281
Review Subject:
A Companion to Cultural Geography
Edited by James S. Duncan, Nuala, C. Johnson and Richard H. Schein
Publisher Name:
Blackwell
Place of Publication:
Oxford and Malden, MA
Publication Year:
2004
ISBN:
0631 23050 5
Price:
£80.00/$124.95
Article type:
Review
Pages:
xii + 529 pp.
Keywords:
Geography
Emerald Journal:
Reference Reviews
Volume:
18
Number:
5
Year:
2004
pp.
48-48
Copyright: ©
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN:
0950-4125
The Blackwell Companions to Geography series exploring the main sub-disciplines of human geography turns to cultural geography in this volume. It brings together the leading academics in the field of cultural geography, some of whom are paradigmatic to the sub-discipline itself, who write authoritatively on their subjects. A full list and a brief note on each contributor are provided (pp. iix-xii).
Each title in the Blackwell Companions to Geography series typically includes contributions generally on the sub-discipline, theory and then substantive work arranged around a number of major themes. In this volume, the first part debates what the editors refer to as “key shifts” in cultural geography (p. 3), namely the formation of a “new cultural geography” in Britain versus the established discipline in North America and the “cultural turn”. The second part examines “theoretical interventions” within cultural geography. There are contributions on the plural understanding of Marxism, feminism, post-structuralism, psychology and a renewed focus on materiality through the concept of performance. Finally, the remaining four parts include a number of contributions on the major themes of nature and culture; culture and identity; landscape; and colonialism and post-colonialism.
Each of the parts can be read separately, but contributions towards the major themes often refer to the “key shifts” discussed in Part One as well as often referring to one or more of theories discussed in Part Two. There is cohesion and logic to the volume therefore that benefits the reader who reads the Companion from beginning to end. Its structure also allows readers to select relevant contributions, because each contribution is complete with endnotes as necessary and a full bibliography. Unfortunately this is not consolidated for each of the major themes either at the end of the relevant part or the volume.
The content of this Companion should be the staple part of most university courses on cultural geography. The book"s intended audience is students, researchers and lecturers in this sub-discipline, but given the prominence of “the cultural” across the social sciences, it will also be relevant to related sub-disciplines of human geography as well as of broad interest to other subjects, such as cultural studies. This book is therefore a particularly good buy for libraries and information services catering for these users.
The major themes, however, receive an unequal amount of space with significantly more contributions on the themes of culture and identity and landscape. For example, there are seven contributions on the theme of landscape examining economic, political and religious landscapes as well as landscapes of home, childhood and youth, art and in film. These make up nearly one-fifth of the volume. This compares to four essays on the fourth major theme considering imperial geographies, post-colonial geographies, diaspora and trans-nationalism in turn. Moreover, certain major themes are broader than others and therefore there is less commonality between contributions. For example, the first major theme of culture and nature sandwiches three similar essays on approaches to nature within cultural geography between an essay on sites of production and reception of scientific knowledge and environmental ethics. In contrast, the major theme of culture and identity exhibits greater coherence with contributions focusing on different axis of identity – nationalism, race, class and sexuality - and spaces through which identities are (re-) made, such as the body, consumption and public sites. Hence the Companion is likely to be of more value to those taking or teaching university courses that include components on identity and landscape or have research interests in these major themes.
Finally, there is a comprehensive index at the back that cross-references itself, which may prove useful to some readers.
