Travelling through various historical and geographical contexts, Social Imaginaries of Space explores diverse forms of spatiality, examining the interconnections which shape different social collectives. Proposing a theory on how space is intrinsically linked to the making of societies, this book examines the history of the spatiality of modern states and nations and the social collectives of Western modernity in a contemporary light. Debarbieux offers a practical exploration of his theory of the social imaginaries of space through the analysis of a number of case studies. Advanced geography scholars will find the analysis of space and its impact on societies a valuable tool in understanding the ways in which space, culture and behaviour interact. Historians of Western modernity will also benefit from Debarbieux's analysis of case studies that impact modern life.

Travelling through various historical and geographical contexts, Social Imaginaries of Space explores diverse forms of spatiality, examining the interconnections which shape different social collectives. Proposing a theory on how space is intrinsically linked to the making of societies, this book examines the history of the spatiality of modern states and nations and the social collectives of Western modernity in a contemporary light. Debarbieux offers a practical exploration of his theory of the social imaginaries of space through the analysis of a number of case studies. Advanced geography scholars will find the analysis of space and its impact on societies a valuable tool in understanding the ways in which space, culture and behaviour interact. Historians of Western modernity will also benefit from Debarbieux's analysis of case studies that impact modern life.

Mountains have been a central defining theme in Switzerland, as they have elsewhere in the world. This has fascinated artists and, since the earliest invention of the medium, photographers. Today mountain chains are seen differently than they once were, recognized as having an unsettling fragility in the face of their occupation by humans. What remains of the myths linked to mountains? Are mountains still a source of inspiration for today's artists? How do perceptions of them shift as their populations disappear, and cultural references are increasingly centred on an urban existence? High Altitude provides some of the answers to these questions. This book is a companion to the Swiss photography festival, Alt. +1000, held in Rossiniere in the foothills of the Alps. "High Altitude" features works by contemporary photographers who record mountains in their various and multiple states: spectacular, sublime, domesticated, constructed (even artificial!) and frightening. Artists from around the world, many of whom live far from a mountainous environment, celebrate and challenge deeply rooted myths, and individually interpret this elusive landscape. In addition, well-known photographer Olaf Otto Becker, renowned for his views of Greenland, created a portrait of a natural park close to Rossiniere. Becker's work is breathtakingly beautiful, but its beauty nonetheless reminds us that nature is being radically modified by climate change.