Universalism in geography
Encyclopedia
Universalism, when used in Human Geography
, signals the position that ideas of development produced in Western social sciences hold for all times and places,. Universalist thinking began in the Age of Enlightenment
when philosophers decided on “truths” that could explain occurrences rationally and accurately. Development geography
, human geography
and other disciplines seek to find and critique universal “truths”. Critics suggest that Universalism has created a world knowledge hierarchy placing Western Europe, North America and the rest of the “developed” world at the top, as the center of knowledge, and placing the rest of the globe below, as ignorant and needing to be educated. This hierarchy reiterates the Core-periphery
notion, examining it in terms of knowledge differentials across space.
describes 17th and 18th century school systems as being important because kids became highly complex systems of conditiong . As “truth” claims were taught to children they became embedded within societal and political apparatuses. Once cemented within such institutions they were able to flourish and remain.
Through the imperialist expansion by the west and the successive Colonization around the globe supposed universal “truths” began to diffuse across borders, space, and place. Once colonies were set up and dominant hegemons were in place the processes of the west began to be the processes of the world and the necessary steps to Modernization
.
) approach.
discusses truth in terms of "societal regimes of truth" explaining that truths are made up by societies through selecting “the types of discourse which it accepts and makes function as true”as well as creating and controlling “the mechanisms that enable us to distinguish between true and false statements”. He goes on to talk about the relationship between truth and systems of power and how the powers that be produce and maintain such regimes of truth.
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
, signals the position that ideas of development produced in Western social sciences hold for all times and places,. Universalist thinking began in the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
when philosophers decided on “truths” that could explain occurrences rationally and accurately. Development geography
Development geography
Development geography is the study of the earth's geography with reference to the standard of living and quality of life of its human inhabitants. In this context, development is a process of change that affects people's lives. It may involve an improvement in the quality of life as perceived by...
, human geography
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
and other disciplines seek to find and critique universal “truths”. Critics suggest that Universalism has created a world knowledge hierarchy placing Western Europe, North America and the rest of the “developed” world at the top, as the center of knowledge, and placing the rest of the globe below, as ignorant and needing to be educated. This hierarchy reiterates the Core-periphery
Core-periphery
Core-periphery theory is based on the notion that as one region or state expands in economic prosperity, it must engulf regions nearby to ensure ongoing economic and political success. The area of high growth or former high growth becomes known as the core, and the neighboring area is the periphery...
notion, examining it in terms of knowledge differentials across space.
Universalism’s Beginning
As intellectuals began to question traditional understandings of the world and think on a global scale, new “truths” were created to help explain the world. The issues with said “truths” was that the knowledge that they were based upon was constructed as placeless, free of cultural specificity, abstract, and apolitical . These “truths” began to manifest themselves in development policies, political apparatuses, and other institutions. Into the late 19th and 20th century the philosopher Emile Durkheim wrote that “the truths of [modern] science are independent of any local context” echoing the Enlightenment’s philosophies and assuming an isotropic globe, thus allowing homogeneity to overtake difference. A sense of security and superiority was wielded as the world was now understood, and it was this security and superiority that allowed for the continued teaching of and reliance upon universal “truths”.
"One can see how saying that all knowledge is geographically located is widely taken as a way of saying that the knowledge in question is not authentically true at all"
Universalism’s Global Diffusion
As universal “truth’ claims gained acceptance among western intellectuals they began an important transition into the school system. Michel FoucaultMichel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
describes 17th and 18th century school systems as being important because kids became highly complex systems of conditiong . As “truth” claims were taught to children they became embedded within societal and political apparatuses. Once cemented within such institutions they were able to flourish and remain.
Through the imperialist expansion by the west and the successive Colonization around the globe supposed universal “truths” began to diffuse across borders, space, and place. Once colonies were set up and dominant hegemons were in place the processes of the west began to be the processes of the world and the necessary steps to Modernization
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
.
Changing Truths
The realization that these “truths” may not be accurate across different spaces and that perhaps circumstances were an important factor when giving expertise began in the 1970s when questions arose of nationally varying styles of science. By the mid 1980s geographical sensibility towards science increased seeking to show that locality and spatial situation needed to be attended to in order to understand how scientific knowledge was made, how it became credible and how it flowed globally. It has been with this new situational approach to knowledge formation that allowed geographers to begin analyses of Epistomology with relation to place and confront “truth” formation with a more culturally ecological(Cultural EcologyCultural ecology
Cultural ecology studies the relationship between a given society and its natural environment as well as the life-forms and ecosystems that support its lifeways . This may be carried out diachronically , or synchronically...
) approach.
Foucault’s Truths
Important to universalism in geography is understanding how knowledge becomes accepted as truth. Michel FoucaultMichel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
discusses truth in terms of "societal regimes of truth" explaining that truths are made up by societies through selecting “the types of discourse which it accepts and makes function as true”as well as creating and controlling “the mechanisms that enable us to distinguish between true and false statements”. He goes on to talk about the relationship between truth and systems of power and how the powers that be produce and maintain such regimes of truth.