Non-representational theory is the study of a specific
theory focused on
human geography. It is the work of
Nigel Thrift (
Warwick University). The theory is based on using
social theory, conducting
geographical research, and the 'embodied experience.'
Definition
Instead of studying and representing social relationships, non-representational theory focuses upon practices – how human and nonhuman formations are enacted or performed – not simply on what is produced.
[Thrift, Nigel; 1997; 'The still point: expressive embodiment and dance', in Pile, S and Keith, M (eds.), ''Geographies of Resistance''; (Routledge) pp 124–151] "First, it valorizes those processes that operate before … conscious, reflective thought …
ndsecond, it insists on the necessity of not prioritizing representations as the primary epistemological vehicles through which knowledge is extracted from the world". Recent studies have examined a wide range of activities including dance,
musical performance, walking, gardening, rave, listening to music and children's play.
Post-structuralist origins
This is a
post-structuralist theory inspired in part by the ideas of the
physicist-
philosopher
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
Niels Bohr, and thinkers such as
Michel Foucault
Paul-Michel Foucault (, ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic. Foucault's theories primarily address the relationship between power and knowledge, and how ...
,
Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Louis René Deleuze ( , ; 18 January 1925 – 4 November 1995) was a French philosopher who, from the early 1950s until his death in 1995, wrote on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular works were the two volu ...
,
Félix Guattari,
Bruno Latour,
Michel Serres
Michel Serres (; 1 September 1930 – 1 June 2019) was a French philosopher, theorist and writer. His works explore themes of science, time and death, and later incorporated prose.
Life and career
The son of a bargeman, Serres entered France's ...
and
Karen Barad, and by
phenomenonologists such as
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th centur ...
and
Maurice Merleau-Ponty.
[Smith, Richard G., 2003; "Baudrillard's nonrepresentational theory: burn the signs and journey without maps" in ''Environment and Planning D: Society and Space'' 21; pp 67–84] More recently it considers views from political science (including ideas about
radical democracy) and anthropological discussions of the material dimensions of human life. It parallels the conception of "hybrid geographies" developed by
Sarah Whatmore.
Criticism
Critics have suggested that Thrift's use of the term "non-representational theory" is problematic, and that other non-representational theories could be developed.
Richard G. Smith said that
Baudrillard's work could be considered a "non-representational theory", for example,
which has fostered some debate. In 2005, Hayden Lorimer (Glasgow University) said that the term "more-than-representational" was preferable.
[Lorimer, H., 2005; "Cultural geography: the busyness of being 'more-than-representational'", ''Progress in Human Geography'' 29, 1 (2005) pp. 83–94]
References
Macpherson, H. (2010), Non‐Representational Approaches to Body–Landscape Relations. Geography Compass, 4: 1-13. doi:10.1111/j.1749-8198.2009.00276.x
{{Human geography
Human geography
Enactive cognition