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Space, Politics and Society

Space, Politics and Society

Space, Politics and Society

The Space, Politics and Society research group is concerned with the question of ‘Who Gets What Where and How?’ We undertake conceptual and empirical work on theories of democracy, (in)justice, technology and faith.

We aim to rethink key objects of geographical inquiry, including urban and regional issues, relations between the public and the private, nation-state formation, and global processes. Members of this group are involved in research collaborations in the UK and Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, and our funders include the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, European Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust.

Key research themes

Geographies of caring and sharing: 

  • spaces of health and well-being
  • spaces of welfare
  • geographies of embodiment and practice
  • spaces of education and learning

Geographies of exclusion and inclusion:

  • bordering practices
  • popular geopolitics
  • spaces of law
  • everyday violence
  • migration, state practices, and territoriality

Geographies of motivation and mobilization:

  • postsecular practices of organization
  • geographies of ethics
  • activist geographies
  • geographies of citizenship and democracy

Ways of knowing:

  • leading-edge contributions to theoretical and philosophical understandings in human geography
  • research on the historical geographies of ideas
  • research on the synergies between geographical

Research programmes

Alternative Urbanisms Research Programme

This programme draws together work centred in Geography that is focussed on three overlapping aspects of contemporary urban transformations.

Routes: Migration, mobility, displacement

Routes is a platform to create new knowledge on the issues of human mobility, migration and displacement, and to intervene in debates, policy processes and practice.

Spaces of Education Research Programme

This programme coordinates the expertise, research and scholarship at Exeter on the spatialities of education and learning in society.

Research news and highlights

Going to Appeal

The Going to Appeal project is creating videos for asylum appellants going through the appeals process, to give people the information they need to give clearer information and have a higher chance of winning their appeal.