Revocalising human geography: decolonial language geographies beyond the nation-state

Chapman, E. (2023) Revocalising human geography: decolonial language geographies beyond the nation-state. Progress in Human Geography, 47(1), pp. 24-42. (doi: 10.1177/03091325221131852)

Abstract

This paper emphasises the decolonial importance of geographical engagement with the materiality of language as an embodied and embedded relation. It shows how abstractions of language(s) as discrete, codified and possessable objects participate in a ‘coloniality of language’ that risks obscuring alternative geographies of language within, against and beyond the territorialised monolingualism of the colonial nation-state. Through considering Italian philosopher Adriana Cavarero’s analysis of Western modernity’s systematic ‘devocalisation of logos’ from a modernity/coloniality perspective, I argue that geographical consideration of language as a ‘revocalised’ relation could contribute to moving beyond colonial and (ethno)nationalist geographies of language.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Chapman, Eleanor
• Authors: Chapman, E.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Progress in Human Geography
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 0309-1325
• ISSN (Online): 1477-0288
• Published Online: 06 October 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Progress in Human Geography 47(1): 24-42
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
303166		Scottish Graduate School Science Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)	Mary Beth Kneafsey	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/P000681/1	SS - Academic & Student Administration