政治地理学研究中“地理”的重要性——兼论中国政治地理学的范式选择和理论建构

在国际形势应对和国内社会治理的需求推动下,目前中国政治地理学的学科发展得到了越来越多的关注,基本形成了外源性研究与内生性研究并行的学科体系。然而与国际关系学、政治经济学、公共管理学等相关学科相比,中国政治地理学研究的影响力仍然有限,相关理论和方法较少被其他学科采纳应用,在国内外地缘战略和社会政策制定中的声音也相对不足。本文一方面直接回应了其他学科对“地理”内涵及其重要性的偏见和误解,另一方面指出了中国政治地理学自身在机理性研究、宏观-微观联系、研究对象整合和理论建构等方面存在的不足。本文还从权力-空间关系出发,明确了政治地理学研究的核心议题,期望有助于整合研究议题、凝聚研究共识、推动知识积累,从而增强政治地理学科的理论生产能力及其在更广泛学科体系中的影响力。

Geography matters in political geography:A discussion on paradigmatic selection and theoretical construction for the development of Chinese political geography

Driven by the needs of coping with changing international settings and improving domestic social governance, the development of Chinese political geography has gained increasing scholarly attention and formed a disciplinary framework based on both imported and domestic studies. However, the impact of Chinese political geography remains limited compared with other relevant disciplines such as international relations, political economy and public administration. The theories and methods of political geography have rarely been used by other disciplines. Its influence in the making of geopolitical strategies and social governance policies is also restricted. This paper, on the one hand, responds to other disciplines′ critics and misunderstanding of geography and its significance; on the other hand, points out shortcomings of Chinese political geography in terms of mechanism investigations, macro-micro linkages, integration of research subjects, and the construction of theories. It argues that geographical research has moved beyond the traditional focus on physical environment or geographical distance. Instead, an integrative, dialectical and relational perspective of human-nature relations, combining with the disentanglement of multiple dimensions of space, allows geography to remain a valuable discipline. In the meantime, the development of political geography is subject to two major challenges. One concerns the disconnection between empirical and normative studies which divergently pursue micro mechanisms of case studies and macro patterns of general phenomena. The other is stemmed from the fragmentation of research subjects which focus on biophysical components of the social-ecological system rather than fundamental notions of political geographical study. Against this backdrop, this paper outlines an analytical framework of political geography that includes the core research concepts and subjects of political geography from the perspective of power-space relation. It points out that territory, boundary and scale constitute the foundation upon which both complex power dynamics and diverse spatial processes can be examined. Through this analytical framework, it is expected that political geographers could further integrate research subjects, consolidate common understanding, and accumulate knowledge, so as to enhance the theoretical construction and influence of political geography.