Towards a constructive critical geopolitics – Inspirations from the Frankfurt School of critical theory

Abstract

This paper seeks to enrich the scholarly potential and further develop the societal role of critical geopolitical scholarship. In particular, we elaborate on some of the challenges of what we call a ‘constructive critical geopolitics’. This is done through a selective inquiry into some of the key insights of the first generation of Frankfurt School critical theory, in particular as regards its reflections on political action and public engagement. We argue that incorporating some of the central tenets of critical theory into critical geopolitics has important implications for the subdiscipline – theoretically, empirically and as regards its applied/constructive role in society. Our argument seeks to contribute to the inclusion of constructive critical geopolitical analysis alongside the focus on thorough deconstruction of hegemonic knowledge productions, power relations and systems of exclusion. More concretely, drawing on critical theory as well as on geographic feminist and peace research, we call for more explicit normative positioning in critical geopolitical scholarship and suggest that we embrace the complexity of the geopolitical phenomena we study and, in so doing, to consider both their progressive and regressive aspects. We use our interest in processes of European (dis)integration, and the Brexit vote in particular, to highlight the need to further develop such multiperspectival analysis on highly complex and multifaceted geopolitical processes, such as European (dis)integration.

Visionary geographies and European Studies

“…Through its deconstructive sensitivity, critical geopolitics serves as a useful theoretical entry point for carefully advancing visionary geographies. In particular, I draw here on what Bachmann and Moisio (2020) refer to as constructive critical geopolitics . The term describes an opening of critical geopolitics towards employing its power-sensitive and deconstructive strength for a constructive engagement with social and political systems of exclusion.…”

“…It is therefore surprising that this has received so little political attention on the European level – and a possible explanation for perceptions of the EU as an ‘elite project’ (Kaiser, 2017). Nevertheless, the Union’s historical merit in providing a powerful, cooperative and conciliatory, counternarrative to the diverse faces of European nationalisms remains remarkable (Bachmann and Moisio, 2020; Newman and Stefan, 2020).…”

Critical Geopolitics In Russian Foreign Policy: The Geography Of Federal Assembly Addresse

“…Among modern (nonclassical) theories and schools of international relations and world politics (the basis for this research) is a school of critical geopolitics (Bachmann & Moisio, 2020;O'Tuathail, 1999).…”

Ideological Interaction Theory in Critical Discourse Analysis

“…Following Refs. [4,5,8,35,36], the role of education should be for developing a critical consciousness; furthermore, the educational approaches are highly context-sensitive and democratic approaches take an ethical stance on social issues to transform society into an approach or attitude rather than a step method. The socio-transformative practices' impact is seen accompanied by sociopolitical, socio-historic contexts which contribute to the production and interpretation of the text and are crucial aspects of the analysis.…”