GEOG 130 Lecture Notes - Human Geography, Lebensraum, Res Nullius
Geog 130/ Oct 18
Political Geography (week 7/ pg 1-31)
Political Geography ***
- If human geography is about the role played by space in the conduct of human affairs,
politics is about the struggle for power: specifically the power to exercise control over
people and the spaces they exercise
Key terms:
Recall, humans are divided into different cultural groups, based on variables such as
language, religion, and ethnicity
oProvides a sense of identity and community
oCreates artificial divisions between groups
- Nation: refers to a cultural group, or a large collection of people self-identifying as a
distinct group
- State:
oIs a formally demarcated political unit (a geographical unit”
oIs a set of institutions (the political state)
oMakes the rules governing life within its territory (sovereignty)
oHas the potential for violence and coercion (representatives are authorized to
use force on its behalf—military, police, etc.)
oConceptual State Creation: Theories of state creation and expansion
Fredrich Ratzel (1800s)
Seven Laws concerning the spatial growth of states
Generalizations based on observations of a supposed ideal world
Notion of the state as a living organism
Viewed the state as a living organism (biological view)
Assumed independent existence of something that is a human
creation (with the right to survive)
Borders are not permanent, temporarily contain the state
The state requires room to grow and thrive: first use of term
“Lebensraum” – this justifies expansion/colonialism
Made generalizations based on observations of a supposed ideal world
Bot based on rigorous scientific logic
Defined 7 laws of the Spatial Growth of States (1896)
Key idea is that a state grows as its level of civilization rises: as the
organism grows it expands in size
Ratzels 7 “Laws”
1) Size of state increases as culture developes
2) Physical growth is a response to other aspects of state growth
3) States grow at the expense of smalled surrounding states
4) Boundaries are the periphery (edge) os the state, and are not fixed.
As other aspects of the state change so does its boundary
find more resources at oneclass.com
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5) By growing, the stat will attempt to occupy choice (optimal) locations
6) The initial stimulus for growth is external
7) Over time the need to grow will increase continually
K. Deutsch:
Process of state creation involves up to eight stages
Emphasizes to human goals and actions (development)
State creation is a process, involving up to 8 steps:
1) Transition from subsistence to exchange economy
2) Increase mobility leading to the formation of core areas
3) Development of urban centres
4) Growth of communications network
5) Spatial concentration of capital
6) Increasing group identify
7) Rise of national identitiy
8) Creation of a state
oWhat constitutes a state
Permanent population
No minimum requirement
A defined theory
No minimum requirement
A government
Separate effective control over itself (laws)
The capacity to enter into relations w other states
Other steates recognize the state
Independence
Free from the authority of other states; self-determination
- Sovereignty:
oEvery state is a “sovereign entity” (right to self-determination)
oConcept established by the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia
Basic Principles of the Treaty of Westphalia
1) The principle of the sovereignty of states and the right of peaceful
political self determination
2) The principle of (legal) equality between states
3) The binding nature of intervnation treaties between states
4) The principle of non-intervention of one state in the internal affairs of
another state
oOriginally held that the ruler (sovereign) of a realm had the authority to
determine the religion of his/her people as well as allegiances and political and
economic control
oThe concept of sovereignty holds that a state has:
The righ to exclusive control over its territory, its permanent population ,
and its domestic affairs
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
If human geography is about the role played by space in the conduct of human affairs, politics is about the struggle for power: specifically the power to exercise control over people and the spaces they exercise. Recall, humans are divided into different cultural groups, based on variables such as language, religion, and ethnicity: provides a sense of identity and community, creates artificial divisions between groups. Nation: refers to a cultural group, or a large collection of people self-identifying as a distinct group. Seven laws concerning the spatial growth of states. Generalizations based on observations of a supposed ideal world. Notion of the state as a living organism. Viewed the state as a living organism (biological view) Assumed independent existence of something that is a human creation (with the right to survive) Borders are not permanent, temporarily contain the state. The state requires room to grow and thrive: first use of term.
