For over two hundred years the domination of some countries by others has been intrinsic to international relations, with national economic and political strength viewed as essential to a nation's survival and global position. Mastering Space identifies the essential features of this "state-centredness" and suggests an optimistic alternative more in keeping with the contemporary post-Cold War climate. Drawing on recent geopolitical thinking, the authors claim that the dynamism of the international political economy has been obscured through excessive attention on the state as an unchanging actor. Dealing with such topical issues as Japan's rise to economic dominance and America's perceived decline, as well as the global impact of continued geographical change, the book discusses the role of geographical organization in the global political economy, and the impact of increasing economic globalisation and political fragmentation in future international relations. The authors identify the present time as crucial to the global political economy, and explore the possibilities of moving the world from mastering space to real reciprocity between peoples and places. John Agnew is a Professor of Geography at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. Stuart Corbridge is a lecturer in Geography at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College.

Throughout history, state has dominated state. Even in the New World Order of the post Cold War, the objective is mastery, not reciprocity. Mastering space maps new paths out of the tangle of international relations. By employing a geographical perspective, the book integrates the political and economic dimensions of global relations, and rediscovers the dynamism of international political economy. Tracing the evolution of the international economy since 1800,the authors question "state centredness" in the context of increasing economic globalisation and political fragmentation. Mastering Space addresses the changes in the organization of the world's political economy, and challenges the assumption that mastery of peoples and places is intrinsic to global development. John Agnew is a Professor of Geography at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. Stuart Corbridge is a lecturer in Geography at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203422384