Culture Unbound

Abstract

The key concept of culture has recently been undergoing critical reassessment, and in some cases replacement, by cultural theorists in a number of fields. Some commentators have argued that the concept of culture is too elusive and all encompassing to be of use and that it can be politically dangerous. We will argue instead that the problem is not inherent in all concepts of culture, but in the specific political uses to which particular concepts of culture have been put. We think there is a need to rethink the concept of culture. In fact, cultural coherence in the face of heterogeneity and porous boundaries, complexity, and complicity across far-reaching networks are some of the most challenging and intriguing issues in cultural theory today. Thus we explore alternative conceptions of culture that might hold some promise for cultural geography. Our view is that no one conception holds the answer. Rather, cultural geographers need to develop a critically eclectic mix of culture theories and allow sufficient time for these to be empirically grounded.