Unfinished agendas: acting upon minority voices of the past decade

Abstract

A number of minority agendas were raised in the 1980s. The most significant of these were the neglect of political theory and philosophy, the Anglo-centricism of the sub-discipline and lack of feminist or gendered perspective. The failure to address these issues, in any more than a cursory fashion until the present decade, has had significant implications for the development of the sub-discipline, and for geography in general. Geography has tended to look to social theory to provide its theoretical insights and neglected political theory, which has undergone a revival in the past two decades. In this article, the relevance of political philosophy is considered in relation to current discussion of universalism, difference and the local, as well as traditional geographical themes, such as migration and mobility, development, and inequality. In particular, the liberal/communitarian debate and its evolution are outlined to illustrate the complexity of one of the key debates. Geographers too can make a contribution to the concerns of political theorists and philosophers who are beginning to address spatial and territorial dimensions. The continuing Anglocentricism of the discipline is also shown to have considerable significance for our understanding of globalisation and the possibility of geographical dialogue. As for the third agenda, whilst feminist and gender analyses have been introduced, the sub-discipline remains male-dominated. It is suggested that feminist perspectives would benefit from readings of current research in politics and international relations in particular. Feminist perspectives on the state and global processes contribute understandings that should not continue to be ignored. Taken together, acting upon the minority agendas of the 1980s would both enable us to have less partial formulations and a more penetrating analysis of the complexity of global change and the principles which shape the relationships between people and places.