Radical Geography

Abstract

Radical geography is an approach to geographic research that seeks to understand social and spatial problems, and to advocate solutions. Radical geography is not a coherent or unifying concept or methodology. There is great diversity in the research that would be considered “radical.” Radical geography is an approach developed in the 1970s and a contemporary ethos that is fundamental to many geographers’ work. It should be considered as a multiple, dynamic, and contested approach, for which there is no one definition. Instead there are radical geographies. Radical geographers are interested in everyday lives: the lived experiences of members of society. They are interested in issues of relevance to everyday social life, such as access to safe and affordable food and housing, fair pay, educational opportunities, and basic health care, to name just a few. This emphasis reflects a desire for geographers to do research that is relevant to, and useful for, society. There has been a specific focus on understanding spatialities of power, inequality, and oppression, which has required an understanding of the causes of such inequality and has led to research on power relations, neoliberalism, political structures, and corporate hegemony. It has been necessary to understand how neoliberalism and corporate power operate in order to relate the everyday experiences of people to the broader structures that shape their lives.