Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries

The article analyzes the various interpretations of the concept of the border or boundary, and demonstrates their inherent ambivalences. That the drawing and dissolution of borders and boundaries are processes of demonstration as well as exercise of power, and are both products and producers of conf...

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Main Author: Veronika Magyar-Haas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Social Work & Society 2013-03-01
Series:Social Work and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ejournals.bib.uni-wuppertal.de/index.php/sws/article/view/336
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author Veronika Magyar-Haas
author_facet Veronika Magyar-Haas
author_sort Veronika Magyar-Haas
collection DOAJ
description The article analyzes the various interpretations of the concept of the border or boundary, and demonstrates their inherent ambivalences. That the drawing and dissolution of borders and boundaries are processes of demonstration as well as exercise of power, and are both products and producers of conflict, is elucidated both in literature and in the boundary discourses occurring in geography, politics, history and the social sciences. Subsequent to the interdisciplinary interpretations of the ‘political border’, it is shown how the topic of the border and boundary (Grenze) has been handled so far in German-language discussion in educational science and popular pedagogy. The boundaries of the body have been almost entirely neglected in these discussions. This area receives more extensive discussion here, both to further investigate the relevance of a boundary-theory perspective on the body for educational research, and also to expand the concept of the boundary to include additional aspects. The article makes the case for the recognition and acknowledgement of the body in its boundaried form, its state of exposure and its constitutive vulnerability – an understanding that, following Butler, creates political, ethical and social obligations and responsibilities with regard to the body and the conditions that surround it.
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spelling doaj.art-afd32680391f434fb747793f86c1acb72022-12-21T23:16:54ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532013-03-01102Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily BoundariesVeronika Magyar-Haas0University of ZurichThe article analyzes the various interpretations of the concept of the border or boundary, and demonstrates their inherent ambivalences. That the drawing and dissolution of borders and boundaries are processes of demonstration as well as exercise of power, and are both products and producers of conflict, is elucidated both in literature and in the boundary discourses occurring in geography, politics, history and the social sciences. Subsequent to the interdisciplinary interpretations of the ‘political border’, it is shown how the topic of the border and boundary (Grenze) has been handled so far in German-language discussion in educational science and popular pedagogy. The boundaries of the body have been almost entirely neglected in these discussions. This area receives more extensive discussion here, both to further investigate the relevance of a boundary-theory perspective on the body for educational research, and also to expand the concept of the boundary to include additional aspects. The article makes the case for the recognition and acknowledgement of the body in its boundaried form, its state of exposure and its constitutive vulnerability – an understanding that, following Butler, creates political, ethical and social obligations and responsibilities with regard to the body and the conditions that surround it.https://ejournals.bib.uni-wuppertal.de/index.php/sws/article/view/336borders
spellingShingle Veronika Magyar-Haas
Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries
Social Work and Society
borders
title Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries
title_full Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries
title_fullStr Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries
title_full_unstemmed Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries
title_short Ambivalent Concepts of the Border: Political Borders – Bodily Boundaries
title_sort ambivalent concepts of the border political borders bodily boundaries
topic borders
url https://ejournals.bib.uni-wuppertal.de/index.php/sws/article/view/336
work_keys_str_mv AT veronikamagyarhaas ambivalentconceptsoftheborderpoliticalbordersbodilyboundaries