Territorial Representation Research Articles

Electoral incentives for territorial representation in the European Parliament

ABSTRACT While many citizens are indifferent about the EU, most MEPs are invisible in national politics and European Parliament elections are not fought based on parliamentary activity records, some legislators still pursue territorial interests or foster constituency linkages. What explains such behavior? Drawing on written questions data from the 6th and the 7th terms of the European Parliament (EP) this article shows that despite the virtual absence of an electoral connection in EP elections, electoral system features, and electoral marginality influence the MEPs’ engagement in geographical representation. Electorally marginal MEPs ask more questions on regional and national topics as do MEPs elected from STV systems. There is no evidence for a differential effect of district magnitude depending on ballot structure.

Indigenous Territoriality: External Discourses and Native Perspectives on the Space Inhabited by Tegria’s U’wa Community

Tegria’s community is part of the U’wa indigenous people, who have inhabited the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy since the pre-Hispanic period, in the jurisdiction of the current municipality of Cubara in Boyaca (Colombia). However, this region known as Sarare has been described from anthropological, ethnohistorical, linguistical, and to a lesser extent, geographical approaches, which have generated representations of territory that ignore the historical process of indigenous people. To account for the present territoriality, it was proposed to contrast these external discourses with the community’s visions on its history of occupation and the transformations of the inhabited space, compiled through participatory methodologies that sought the collaborative construction of knowledge based on joint recognition of the place, the participant observation and the constant dialogue between indigenous and researchers. In this way, it was established that the external discourses show a territory that does not correspond to the processes of appropriation, adaptation, and reconfiguration of the space that the U’wa indigenous community has lived through and are evident in everyday settings such as the cultivation plot and the school. Therefore, it is only possible to recognize indigenous territoriality by exploring other alternatives, expressions, and perspectives that involve directly the communities and are not external to the context of the inquiry itself.

Local perceptions of spatial management indicate challenges and opportunities for effective zoning of sustainable-use protected areas in Brazil

Protected areas (PAs) are widely applied conservation instruments. Often, they are also expected to help secure livelihoods of poor subsistence, small-scale producers, making the management of PAs often dependent on community support. The usefulness of analyzing the perceptions of PAs among local users to improve the effectiveness of PA management is increasingly recognized; however, there are few studies on spatial perceptions, for example, how users perceive the PA’s geographical boundaries or its zoning, and how these can be used in PA zoning. Here, we analyze how local stakeholders perceive two sustainable-use PAs on the Amazon coast, the changes they have brought about, and their current management. We identify and link the mental models of different user groups to formal conceptualizations of the PAs in legal instruments and identify mismatches related to what the PA means to local stakeholders and where it is located, which need to be considered when building a zoning plan. Because of the frequent research in our study area, we also discuss possible research fatigue in this region. We highlight the challenges and opportunities related to promoting spatial literacy and awareness-raising regarding PAs. We recommend adapting legal instruments to include diverse territorial representations and alternative management tools.

Mapas Sociales Urbanos, Instrumento de Apropiación del Territorio y Visibilización de Problemas Ambientales

El trabajo presenta el Proyecto de Extensión “Colegios y Escuelas: un espacio en común para la construcción del conocimiento geográfico” que tiene como finalidad utilizar como estrategia didáctica la construcción del saber disciplinar a partir de la elaboración de cartografía. Los mapas persiguen un trabajo reflexivo de recopilación y tratamiento de información geográfica que permiten, la representación e interpelación del territorio actual y emiten un mensaje que provoca en el estudiante una serie de interrogantes que guían su aprendizaje. En este contexto la extensión universitaria consolida la democratización del saber y favorece la construcción de ciudadanía responsable del territorio que habita.

Cartographic Intertextuality: Reading The Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson with Geographic Information Systems

The Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson from 1682 is not only famous – or infamous – for its brutal descriptions of the armed conflicts of King Philip’s War, it is also a colonial document that contains both religious as well as spatial representations of Native American territories. This article proposes to analyze this entanglement of space and text with a combination of digital text analysis tools and geographic information systems (GIS). Applying the potentials of such technologies and methods to the study of captivity narratives like Mary Rowlandson’s opens up new opportunities to better understand the interaction of writing and space in colonial New England.

Medir, controlar y proyectar: la cartografía urbana de las Luces como nuevo campo del saber

A mediados del siglo XVIII la confluencia entre el cientifismo ilustrado y las exigencias modernizadoras de los Estados dio lugar a un giro radical en la representación cartográfica de territorios y ciudades. Una "intelligentsia" compuesta de científicos, ingenieros, geógrafos, geómetras, etc. produjo en menos de cincuenta años muchos ejemplos de este novedoso modo de mirar el mundo que encarnaba a la perfección el "Sapere aude!" de Kant. Este artículo trata de esbozar, mediante el análisis de algunos casos paradigmáticos, la naturaleza de los planos urbanos de las Luces como producto de la exigencia de un conocimiento cierto de la fisonomía del entorno y como expresión cartográfica de las ideas de "progreso, felicidad pública y riqueza de la nación", así como de la cara utópica del pensamiento ilustrado.

Смыслы общероссийской гражданской идентичности в массовом сознании россиян

На материалах мониторингового исследования Федерального агентства по делам национальностей, выполненного Всероссийским центром изучения общественного мнения по общероссийской выборке (2000 респондентов), анализируется значимость интегрирующих представлений об общем государстве, территории, историческом прошлом, культуре, гражданских ценностях. Показано, что российская идентичность формировалась не только государством, но и усилиями самого общества. В современных условиях наиболее широко распространен тип государственной идентичности, связанный со страновыми и территориальными представлениями, и меньше — историко-культурный и гражданский. Идентифицирующие паттерны динамичны и корреспондируют в представлениях людей. Акцентируются множественность идентичностей и совмещение российской и этнической идентичностей. Показано, что вариативность содержания российской идентичности в наибольшей мере проявляется в оценке значимости идентификации на основе общего государства и в наименьшей — исторического прошлого. Содержание российской идентичности сходно среди жителей городов и сёл, выделяются только крупные города, жители которых большее значение придают исторической и культурной составляющей. Доля людей, ощущавших связь с гражданами России, увеличилась с 84% в 2016 г. до 91% в 2019 г. Среди людей с сильной (актуальной) идентичностью несколько больше молодых и образованных, ориентированных на межэтническое согласие и доверие, но при этом не более трети россиян чувствуют ответственность за судьбу страны. Задачей государства и общества является формирование гражданского сознания, ответственности за позитивную направленность общероссийской идентичности.

Not Like the Others? The Position of Associated States and Dependent Territories in Fishing Disputes

Abstract Fisheries are of vital concern to associated states and dependent territories located in diverse regions ranging from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The special characteristics of these actors have led to innovative international law-making, including the terms that have been agreed within regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements to facilitate representation of non-metropolitan territories’ interests. The question may be raised whether similar innovations can be found in the field of international dispute resolution. The aim of this brief article is to consider some linkages between associated states and dependent territories on the one hand and international dispute settlement concerning fishing on the other. Four such connections will be examined in turn: access to court, representation in proceedings, applicable law in proceedings, and the territorial exclusion of disputes.

Implementation Challenges in Public Policies Towards Indigenous Peoples: The Impact of Health Policies in Urban Contexts

ABSTRACT How are indigenous public health policies implemented in contexts of diversity? The rural-urban migration processes that indigenous people have experienced since the mid-1990s in Latin American countries have affected the implementation of public policies, especially in the field of health. These processes have put pressure on ancestral practices of territorial representation, challenging traditional mechanisms that have supported western health policies. Based on a case study in urban Chile, this article examines the implementation processes of indigenous public policies in field of intercultural health. The analysis is informed by data collected from in-depth interviews with 35 key actors (Indigenous health practitioners, managers, health professionals, users, indigenous leaders), who have played a role in different stages in the implementation process of ‘Indigenous Peoples Special Health Program (PESPI)’. The data points to some challenges that persist with the implementation and adaption to this policy into a Western Health Model, where indigenous practices do not always find space to develop. The data collected reveals the efforts that indigenous people make in order to maintain their traditions and practices in different territorial contexts. The findings have the potential to enrich discussion and decision-making on intercultural and or indigenous health policies in other countries experiencing similar issues.

Territorial self-governance and proportional representation: reducing the risk of territory-centred intrastate violence

ABSTRACT After decades of scholarship, there is still little agreement about the usefulness of territorial self-governance in managing territory-centred conflicts. We argue that the effectiveness of territorial self-governance as a tool of territory-centred conflict management increases when combined with a proportional representation (PR) electoral system for the national legislature in basically open political regimes, but not when combined with a parliamentary form of government at the centre. We propose that the combination of territorial self-governance and PR in at least minimally democratic regimes has most conflict-reducing potential, as both institutions follow a logic of widening the input side of representative politics. We find empirical support for this proposition using binary time-series cross-section analysis. Our findings highlight the need to consider not just the number but, more importantly, the type of power-sharing institutions that are combined with each other when looking for ways to reduce the risk of territory-centred intrastate violence.

The power of maps and participatory approaches: the use of social cartography in the territorial representation of rural settlements

The elaboration of a methodology of social intervention based on a collective work has as proposal to meet the needs of the community, the orientation of the technicians and a better interaction with the institutions that act in the place. In this sense, this article analyzes the development of a participatory methodology that articulates the use of the principles of social cartography. This was applied and validated in a rural settlement for the elaboration of georeferenced participatory maps on territorial representation. It is concluded that this methodology facilitated the empowerment of the participants in the territorial representation of the rural settlement.

Ordenamiento territorial, agua subterránea y participación sociopolítica en Bacalar, Quintana Roo, México

A partir de un estudio interdisciplinario sobre la participación sociopolítica en la formulación del Programa de Ordenamiento Ecológico Local (POEL) de Bacalar, analizamos las motivaciones y dificultades para considerar la "vocación natural” de este territorio, es decir, la capacidad que tiene para sustentar las actividades de los diversos seres vivos que lo habitan, partiendo del hecho de que se trata de un sistema kárstico. Para incluir dicha consideración, el equipo de investigación implementó una estrategia de investigación-acción (IA) que consistió en elaborar un modelo de conectividad hidrogeológica y sumarse a las gestiones para la configuración de este instrumento de política pública. Desde un enfoque socioambiental, la investigación incluyó técnicas etnográficas como entrevistas, observación participante y diario de campo. Los resultados muestran que algunas de las representaciones territoriales de los actores son incompatibles con las características del sistema kárstico y plantean la necesidad de una política participativa, orientada a la construcción de una visión común del territorio mediante procesos de socialización del conocimiento entre los actores y los sectores involucrados. Entre las limitantes de la IA se encontró que, a pesar de lograr la convergencia de sectores, se mantuvo la dinámica inercial que hasta ahora ha impedido la entrada en vigor del POEL en un espacio cada vez más codiciado y en riesgo para el ecosistema y quienes lo habitan.

Chile mega-fire 2017: An analysis of social representation of forest plantation territory

Between January 1 and February 10, 2017, the central southern area of Chile faced several mega-fires events that were considered the second largest of the history, 518,174 ha were affected. The devastating consequences of this fire also include the loss of 12 human lives, as well as an enormous financial cost in the fight against fires. Due to the increase in global mega-fires and the increase in industrial forest plantations during the last decades in southern Chile, it is relevant to analyse how this industry interact with the occurrence of these events and their socio-environmental consequences. We contrasted the content of public and private sector stakeholders discourses with four discursive elements of a spatial nature of interest, Extension and continuity of forestry plantations, native ecosystems damage, affectation of non-forestry land cover and proximity to localities. The results show strong discrepancies for the discourses of mega-fires effects and consequences between the different stakeholders. Two relevant emerging issues were identified, the biodiversity value of native ecosystems affected as a forgotten element in the discourses of environmental-related government agencies and the role played to promote mega-fires by the forestry plantations spatial structure which is seen in the opposite way depending of stakeholder.

A new integer linear programming formulation for the problem of political districting

The problem of dividing political territories in electoral process is a very important factor which contributes to the development of democracy in modern political systems. The most significant criteria for fairness of electoral process are demographic, geographic and political. Demographic criterion in the first place refers to the population equality, while the geographic one is mostly represented by compactness, contiguity and integrity. In this paper we propose a new integer linear programming formulation for the problem of political districting. The model is based on the graph representation of political territory, where territorial units are vertices and direct links between them are edges. The correctness of integer linear programming formulation is mathematically proven. In contrast to the most of the previous formulations, all three major criteria, population equality, compactness and contiguity, are completely taken into consideration. There are two models, one which deals with afore mentioned criteria where compactness is taken as an objective function, and the other one which takes into account interests of the decision maker, i.e. the political ruling body which organizes elections. Several numerical examples for the presented models are given which illustrate general aspects of the problem. The experimental results are obtained using CPLEX solver.

Perceptions on the procedures and techniques for assessing history and defining teaching profiles. Teacher training in Spain and the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT The main aim of this paper is to compare the opinions and perceptions of trainee teachers in Spain and the United Kingdom on the most appropriate procedures, activities and exercises to assess historical knowledge. A closed questionnaire was developed with a Likert-type scale (1–5). The sample was 506 questionnaires of students of the Teacher Training Master’s degree in the speciality of Geography and History in Spain (344) and PGCE and Teach First in United Kingdom (162). The research involved 22 universities, 13 from Spain and 9 from England, with a wide territorial representation. The results show significant differences between the two countries, quite clear educational profiles for Spain, and more diffuse ones in United Kingdom.

State’s Technical Cartography and Social Cartography’s Participatory Mapping: Contributions to a Contemporary Reflection on the Use of Maps

The use of cartography in geographical approaches, notably in those focused on territorial discussions, is gaining more and more importance. However, the use of technical maps still prevails, which often act to hinder its use and appropriation by traditional communities. Based on this assumption, this article seeks to show that, in addition to technical cartography, there are other methodologies, which should also be used, in both elaboration and representation of territories, such as the participatory mapping. For that, some recommendations and suggestions are presented in this paper, aiming to subsidize the application and the collaboration of maps, through the mentioned methodology. These suggestions and contributions are the result of both theoretical debates and in loci observations, in workshops held in traditional communities of Brazilian Amazonia. From these discussions, it is concluded that the adoption of participatory mapping in the process of valuing and understanding the knowledge of traditional communities is of great value, in addition to serving as a subsidy for the claims of rights of both appropriation and possession of the territory.

СТРАТЕГИИ ОСМЫСЛЕНИЯ И РЕПРЕЗЕНТАЦИИ ТРАНСГРАНИЧНЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ СИБИРИ В ОЧЕРКАХ Н.А. КОСТРОВА

The article discusses the problem of understanding and representation of the crossborder territories of Siberia in Nikolay Kostrov’s essays as laying a foundation for the theory and methodology of cross-border studies. The author analyzes descriptions of cross-border territories that are numerous in Kostrov’s publications, Kostrov’s ideas about the border, cross-border territories and their functions, the models and types of cross-border interactions Kostrov created, and the life styles of the population of these territories. The author proves that Kostrov’s essays on the problems of the cross-border territories of Siberia fit into the context of the then contemporary studies and clearly show that it is mechanisms of influence of the spatial conditions of cross-border territories (resulting from the features of climate, geographical location, historical development) on the behavior of people living and migrating there, rather than the territories themselves, that are significant for analysis. Concretizing the problem of strategies for understanding cross-border territories laid down in Kostrov’s essays, one should first note his attention to the formation and development of cross-border spaces, which is in demand and updated within the framework of modern sociology of space and cultural geography. The algorithm of stating and understanding the problem that Kostrov proposed (taking into account the essay nature of his articles intended for the general reader) includes: (1) representation of empirical material about cross-border space, often collected by Kostrov himself during his trips to Siberia or gleaned from authoritative sources; (2) typification and classification of cross-border spaces based on a certain system of signs (symbols, concepts): river, road, border, mountains, etc. Kostrov’s essays mainly describe practices of cross-border interactions, for he sees cross-border territories as a localization of sociocultural ties and relations of residents of such regions. rather than as a geographical and geopolitical space. This allows building a dialogue of cultures and preserving one’s identity. In general, it can be argued that Kostrov made a significant contribution to the initial stage of the formation of the methodology for the study of cross-border territories on the Siberian material. This stage was characterized by the coexistence of approaches already tested by researchers from Western Europe and Central Russia and new theories. In particular, Kostrov organically combines historical-geographical and partly political-economic approaches with anthropological ones. He thus strengthens the understanding of cross-border territories as sociocultural phenomena that are constantly changing and developing (and these are the essential features of the Siberian cross-border region according to Kostrov), and, accordingly, emphasizes the significance of an interdisciplinary approach to their understanding and representation.

Географический анализ репрезентации образа Северного Кавказа в социальных медиа

The paper substantiates the relevance of studying the image of the territory in social media using modern online technologies. The main specific features of social media that directly or indirectly affect the methodology and results of the analysis of images of the territory are identified. The comparative analysis allowed us to determine the information and analytical system for monitoring social media that is most adequate to research tasks. The information base of the study was compiled by the author’s database, formed on the basis of social media monitoring of the information and analytical system Medialogia for the period from June 1 to August 30, 2019. The study revealed the socio-demographic characteristics of users, the geography and context of messages about the North Caucasus published in social networks. The most popular subjects of the North Caucasus Federal district in social media were identified, and the sites where the North Caucasus macroregion is most often mentioned were identified. A variety of cartographic material is presented, reflecting quantitative differences in the degree of information representation of individual territories of the North Caucasus in the regions of Russia and its tone. The obtained data indicate the predominance of a negative tone in the perception of the North Caucasus territories and the dominance of negative features in its image. The mental representation of the North Caucasus is formed under the influence of the “information pressure” of two regions — Dagestan and Chechnya, with which the entire North Caucasus is associated, in most cases, significant relationships Between the perception of territories and the geographical parameters of places of concentration of social media users could not be established. There is a certain relationship between distance, fame and the level of positivity of the image.

The Paradox of Incumbency: Patronage, Clientelism, and Incumbent Defeat in Village Chief Elections

This article examines the practices of patronage and clientelism during village elections. Examining Mekarsari Village, Yogyakarta, this study finds that patronage strategies such as programmatic politics, vote buying, club goods, and individual gifts were used by all candidates during village elections owing to the lack of strong social bonds between candidates and voters. The incumbent with all advantages and access to material resources also used patronise and clientelism as strategy, but in fact, it cannot guarantee they win the election. This suggests that the societal relationships and practices of patronage and clientelism continue to affect voter’s preference. Applying sociological, psychological, and rational approaches to understanding voter behaviour especially in Java, the study found that, apart from the instrumental and social distance considerations, territorial representation also influenced voter’s preference at Village.

The Territorial Select Committees, 40 Years On

Abstract The territorial departmental select committees have largely escaped academic scrutiny since their establishment in 1979 (for Scotland and Wales) and 1994 (Northern Ireland). This article charts the history of territorial representation in Westminster, including the creation of grand committees for Scotland and Wales and a Northern Ireland Standing Committee, before explaining the forces that led to the creation of territorial departmental select committees. The article then explores the work of these committees after their formation, and explores how they have responded to the devolution dispensations in their respective nations. A key theme of this article is the influence of constitutional developments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on territorial committees at Westminster. Indeed, as this article highlights, the different timings of establishment, the asymmetric levels of (in)stability in the various devolution dispensations and prolonged suspensions of devolution in Northern Ireland have had an impact on the role of the respective territorial select committees.