The Badlands of Modernity: Heterotopia and Social Ordering

by Kevin Hetherington

Overview

The Badlands of Modernity offers a wide ranging and original interpretation of modernity as it emerged during the eighteenth century through an analysis of some of the most important social spaces. Drawing on Foucault's analysis of heterotopia, or spaces of alternate ordering, the book argues that modernity originates through an interplay between ideas of utopia and heterotopia and heterotopic spatial practice.
The Palais Royal during the French Revolution, the masonic lodge and in its relationship to civil society and the public sphere and the early factories of the Industrial Revolution are all seen as heterotopia in which modern social ordering is developed. Rather than seeing modernity as being defined by a social order, the book argues that we need to take account of the processes and the ambiguous spaces in which they emerge, if we are to understand the character of modern societies.
The book uses these historical examples to analyse contemporary questions about modernity and postmodernity, the character of social order and the significance of marginal space in relation to issues of order, transgression and resistance. It will be important reading for sociologists, geographers and social historians as well as anyone who has an interest in modern societies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134822461
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/01/2002
Series:	International Library of Sociology
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	490 KB

About the Author

Kevin Hetherington is Lecturer in Sociology at Keele University

Table of Contents

Preface, 1 The Palais Royal as modernity, 2 Margins, orderings and the laboratories of society, 3 Two castles, 4 The utopics of modernity, 5 Secret virtues, Euclidean spaces, 6 The factory for itself, 7 The space of the horizon, Notes, Bibliography, Index

Editorial Reviews

Draws on Foucault's analysis of heterotopia (defined as spaces of alternate ordering) to examine contemporary questions about modernity and postmodernity through analysis of important social spaces of the 18th century, looking at the character of social order and the significance of marginal space in relation to issues of order, transgression, and resistance. Settings discussed include the Palais Royal during the French Revolution, the Masonic lodge, and the early factories of the Industrial Revolution. Argues that modernity originates through an interplay between ideas of utopia and heterotopic practice, and stresses the importance of the processes that produce social ordering and the spaces in which they emerge. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews

'Hetherington simply manages to pack a great deal of interesting theoretical and empirical analysis into a slim volume.' - Environment and Planning Review

From the Publisher