Theorizing and Researching Intersectionality: A Challenge for Feminist Geography*

This article focuses on the concept of intersectionality, which is being used within the wider social sciences by feminists to theorize the relationship between different social categories: gender, race, sexuality, and so forth. Although research within the field of feminist geography has explored particular interconnections such as those between gender and race, the theoretical concept of intersectionality as debated in the wider social sciences has not been addressed. This article attempts to respond to that omission. It begins by tracing the emergence of debates about the interconnections between gender and other identities. It goes on to reflect on attempts to map geometries of oppressions. The emphasis then moves from theorizing intersectionality to questioning how it can be researched in practice by presenting a case study to illustrate intersectionality as lived experience. The conclusion demonstrates the contribution that feminist geography can make to advance the theorization of intersectionality through its appreciation of the significance of space in processes of subject formation. It calls for feminist geography to pay more attention to questions of power and social inequalities.     

Engaging Diasporas for Development: a case study of Pitcairn Island

Diaspora engagement is a growing trend and many governments, international organisations and policy makers are increasingly focusing on the role of diaspora in development strategies for the homelands. Such policies are predominantly critical to island-dense regions such as the Caribbean and Pacific that have suffered high rates of outmigration during the postcolonial period. One such Pacific island is Pitcairn, a British Overseas Territory, and is the focus of this article. But while most of the literature focuses on the positive benefits of diaspora engagement, this paper examines the dynamics of diaspora (dis)engagement and (dis)affection. Each diaspora has a unique set of needs and capabilities based on its historical experience and the present realities of its countries of origin and destination. While much has been written celebrating the role of diasporas in development, diaspora have also shown themselves to have dual natures, with sometimes conflicting identities and allegiances. Based on analysis of a recent Pitcairn Diaspora Survey and ethnographic data, discussion in this paper reveals that the best intentions of engaging diaspora for development can be impeded by several factors including: (1) the complex nature of identity, place and politics; (2) difficult negotiations between past, present and future intentions of movers; and (3) shifting ‘roots/routes’ and boundaries of identification. Consequently, the paper aims to highlight the realities of settlement and relationships of diaspora space and subjectivity with the homeland.     

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE AND PLACE IDENTITY IN SPAIN: FROM MONUMENTS TO LANDSCAPES*

In Spain, the birth of interest in the nation's industrial heritage dates from the 1980s and occurred alongside the process of deindustrialization. Policies concerning derelict industrial sites have shifted gradually from destruction to preservation, rehabilitation, and enhancement, and industrial heritage enhancement projects are now widespread in the country. However, a clear mismatching has arisen between institutional and academic initiatives and local communities, which exhibit widespread disinterest in or even rejection of industrial remains. This problematic situation can be related to the utilization of industrial heritage as an economic resource without paying much attention to its connections with memory and identity. Also, the mismatching is due to a positivist approach to industrial heritage whereby the monument and the museum are prioritized. We argue that projects which consider industrial remains as part of cultural landscapes might shorten the gap between the institutional and economic side of industrial heritage and its identity‐building and popular facets.     

Finding the Southern Part of Cyberspace: Using the Internet to Teach the South

Abstract

This article suggests how teachers can approach the Internet conceptually and use it practically as they teach about the American South. Because of its information, communication, and cultural dimensions, the Internet represents a “place” where students and teachers can appraise the South from multiple, alternative perspectives. The article offers lesson strategies and resources for both on-computer and off-computer classroom settings. By finding the southern part of cyberspace, the authors illustrate that regions can and do have a place in a medium often represented as spaceless and devoid of geographic boundaries.     

Comparing the Validity and Reliability of Place Attachment Across Cultures

Researchers often measure human–place bonds via place attachment scales across a variety of settings. However, scale use does not always include an evaluation of the scales’ psychometric properties, especially in multisite studies. Failure to consider a place attachment scale’s measurement properties makes both validity and reliability assumptions and may lead to improper data interpretation. Hence, this investigation assessed a place attachment scale across three sites via data collected on site in natural resource protected areas in Colorado, Minnesota, and Germany. A series of confirmatory factor analyses assessed the hypothesized two-dimensional (i.e., place identity and place dependence) model, Cronbach’s alphas calculated a measure of internal consistency, and a multigroup procedure cross-validated the scale. Some items did not load on the hypothesized dimension and the pattern of factor loadings was not equivalent across settings, suggesting assessment of place attachment scales may be necessary when used in new contexts.     

基于游客认同的文化遗产景区安全标识系统研究——以青城山-都江堰景区为例

文化遗产景区安全标识系统作为传播信息和规范观赏行为的有效方式,已成为影响游客旅游体验和衡量景区服务水准的重要因素。借助实地考察与随机抽样问卷调查,以青城山-都江堰世界文化遗产景区为例,综合利用文献分析和数理统计验证,拟定11项安全标识测量指标以调查游客对景区安全标识系统的认同感,研究结果表明:游客普遍认同遗产景区安全标识系统的重要性,但多是从利己角度的直观考虑;游客对青城山-都江堰文化遗产景区安全标识系统认同度低,安全标识系统各构成要素急需改进,尤其是安全标识的设计和功能;游客对文化遗产景区安全标识系统的认同度并不完全受人口统计特征影响;游客对文化遗产景区安全标识系统的认同度受游客出游频率和旅游形式影响。建议文化遗产景区从完善安全标识布局和基本功能、强调景观感设计、规范安全标识系统文字和色彩、改进标识的视觉尺寸和开展定期检查维护方面实施优化。     

区域形象系统探索

从阐释区域形象系统的有关概念着手,全面探讨了区域形象系统的基本特性和研究内容,并就区域形象系统理论进行了有益研究。     

遗产旅游地居民的地方认同——“碉乡”符号、记忆与空间

文化地理学者对“地方”这一理论视角主观性意义的强调,使得“地方认同”等呈现人与地方情感联系的概念被重新审视。在当今中国申遗热的背景下,当地人的地方认同在各方力量对遗产归属与表述的争夺中重塑,如果将这种重塑放在多尺度的分析框架下,就可以发现地方认同不仅仅局限于某一特定封闭的地点,在本土、全国以及跨国空间中呈现不同的表述。开平碉楼与村落作为广东首个世界文化遗产,并且是中国唯一以华侨文化为主题的世界文化遗产,是研究遗产生产对地方认同变迁影响的典型案例。结合文献分析、观察法与访谈法等,阐述遗产旅游发展背景下当地居民的地方认同变迁,分析开平作为“碉乡”的具体内涵。研究发现：遗产申报和维护使碉楼被硬性确立为地方的象征,具有高度符号化的特点;“碉乡”形象在居民地方认同中的展开并不完整;“碉乡”在历史延续中存在着多重割裂;“碉乡”的空间边界既明确又封闭。     

对文化微空间的感知与认同研究——以广州太古汇方所文化书店为例

自20 世纪70 年代以来,经济文化全球化成为微空间生产与重构的重要动力。而随着生产方式和生活方式的改变,以符号和审美消费为主的后现代消费社会范式的崛起,促使文化成为行就消费空间的主要手段之一。广州方所文化书店就是在这样的背景下催生的新生事物。贴上文化标签后的方所文化书店,一反实体书店在现代消费社会中逐步被边缘化的窘境,出现伊始就受到各界的广泛关注。研究剖析了方所文化书店这类实体书店文化身份的展演（performance）,并对消费者的感知与认同进行了解读。结果显示,通过经营者对文化手段的操纵,方所文化书店被形塑成一个世界文化的微观缩影,同时也成为一个具有尊贵与典雅特质的文化新空间。而消费者通过对实体微空间的环境、商品文化及人群品质的感知,也认同了这种新的文化消费空间。实体书店在标签化的文化表征与文化变迁中完成自我救赎,同时也被消费者重新认同。     

新创民俗节庆与地方认同建构——以广府庙会为例

“广府庙会”是广府文化记忆与北方“庙会”文化符号杂糅的产物,一经举办即备受争议。采用参与式观察、深度访谈、文本分析等方法,深入剖析在广府庙会中不同社会群体（包括政府、媒体、专家、普通民众等）如何利用其拥有的文化表征权力,基于其文化记忆与地方认同,以话语与实践来表达自己对地方以及广府文化的理解,从而最大程度将自身地方认同在新创节庆中得以表征的协商过程。研究认为,城市内部存在多元文化认同,文化不断被争议与协商,本质上是“政治的”;新创民俗节庆成为地方认同建构的场域,地方认同在很大程度上取决于谁能成功地获取更大的文化表征权力。首届广府庙会由政府主导,媒体为多个群体话语提供沟通渠道,广州世居居民,特别是反对派的话语受到格外重视,代表广府地方文化认同的话语占据主导地位,政府采取积极倾听的态度,从而第二届广府庙会开始充满“广府味”,广州世居居民的地方认同得以表征。而新来者由于缺少文化表征权力,其话语未受重视,甚至部分新来者有被边缘化的感觉,不利于增强其地方认同。研究理论上有助于对新创节庆地方认同建构的理解,实践上则对利用节庆增进城市不同群体的文化融合与地方认同有积极指导意义。