Topic 2 Day 2

Urban Cosmopolitics

Key Themes

• Cosmopolitics: A new lens for understanding urban political processes focusing on agreements (agencements), gatherings (assemblies), and environments (atmospheres) in urban dynamics.

• Tensions in Urban Processes: Central to urban studies is the dichotomy between consensus and conflict, hegemony and subversion, control and resistance. This tension reflects the overarching influence of neoliberal governmental techniques in shaping urban politics.

Introduction to Urban Politics

• Post-Political Context: The emergence of urban politics characterized by consensus, stemming from an uncontested rise in neoliberal governance. This consensus undermines critical discourse on capitalism.

• Focus of Study: The everyday actions of urban dwellers, from ordinary pedestrians to activists, reveal the ongoing interplay of power.

Cosmopolitics Analysis

• Analytical Contribution: Cosmopolitics reinterprets urban political scenarios, emphasizing complexity rather than simplicity in defining coexistence among diverse political entities.

• Conflict and Consensus: The analytical framework does not oversimplify or romanticize urban conflicts or disruptions; instead, it acknowledges their complexity and the need for coexistence.

Globalization and Urban Cosmopolitics

Conceptualization of Globalization

• Massey (2005) on Globalization: Describes it as not merely a dominant spread from centers of power but as a reconfiguration of spaces through diverse practices and relationships.

• Key Questions: How do we operationalize globalization relationally? How do localities reproduce globalization, and how do they transform through these processes?

Emergence of Assemblage Thinking

• Influential Theorists: Foucault, Latour, and DeLanda contribute to a conceptual understanding of urban cosmopolitics through assemblage thinking, emphasizing emergence and multiplicity.

• Empirical Research: Assemblage is deployed within globalization studies both as a descriptor and methodological tool (e.g., Anderson et al., Brenner et al.).

Global Assemblages and Power Dynamics

Foucauldian Perspectives

• Definition of Global Assemblages: Systems amalgamating technology, politics, and various actors in non-standardized, varied configurations.

• Impacts on Governance: How these assemblages reshape societal norms and regulatory mechanisms.

• Multiplicity of Determination: Assemblages arise from diverse influences, rejecting a singular logic.

Temporal Dynamics

• Nature of Assemblages: They are emergent, not static, with continual transformation involving interactions between components.

• Collier and Ong's Analysis: Global assemblages hold inherent tensions characterized by both comprehensive reach and localized contingencies.

Attributes of Assemblages (DeLanda 2016)

1. Contingent Historical Identity: Each assemblage possesses a unique, historical identity shaped by individual components.

2. Heterogeneous Makeup: Assemblages consist of various components, both material and expressive, influencing their identities.

3. Nested Relationships: Assemblages can be part of larger assemblages, facilitating multidirectional interactions.

4. Emergent Interactions: Once formed, assemblages both limit and offer opportunities for their constituent parts.

Dynamics of Assemblages

• Parameters: Assemblages defined by relational exteriority—interactions are non-essential, contingent, and often temporary.

• Deconstruction and Reassembly: Components may detach and contribute to different assemblages, demonstrating flexibility in roles and functions.

Urban Functions of Assemblages

• Roles in Urban Environments: Government centers, economic sectors (primary, secondary, tertiary), and their broader impact on urban dynamics.

• Central Place Theory: Defines spatial requirements for urban centers, impacting regional development.

Urban Models in Context

• Concentric Zone Model, Sector Model, Multiple Nuclei Model, Peripheral Model: Frameworks to understand urban layout and influences.

• Apartheid City Model: Illustrates historical segregation and its effects on urban form and function.

Place and Globalization

Interactions between Local and Global

1. Translocal Social Dynamics: Understanding how place-assemblages engage with broader translocal assemblages leads to transformative processes.

2. Connectivity and Effects: The interconnectedness of place and global assemblages creates both opportunities and constraints.

3. Decoding and Recoding: Globalization influences local meanings and daily interactions, redefining social norms.

Conclusion: Commitment to Cosmopolitics

• Framework for Inquiry: Provides a basis for exploring urban dynamics through diverse influences and interactions.

• Ethical Urban Inquiry: Focuses on evolving urban issues and takes into account the complexities of multiple assemblages.

• Exploratory Program of Urban Studies: Aims at understanding urban settings as they change, promoting continuous inquiry into urban life.