Sexualities, subjectivities and urban spaces : a case for assemblage thinking

Catherine J. Nash, Andrew Gorman-Murray

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this essay, we argue that assemblage thinking has much to offer geographers attempting to conceptualize the interrelationships between sexualities, subjectivities and contemporary urban spaces. In our current research on queer mobilities, we found that despite the explanatory weight provided by mobilities approaches, two fundamental questions remained: how to conceptualise the nature of ‘the queer subject’, and how to better explain why certain kinds of urban spaces still seemed to support these newly mobile queer subjects. Here we speculate on the potential of assemblage thinking to formulate some new theoretical and conceptual responses to these questions. While quite preliminary, there is the potential to understand how interlocking (but temporary and unstable) notions of identities, subjectivities and mobilities (of ideas, people, knowledge, capital, etc.) can be ‘assembled’ in and across urban spaces, recursively reshaping sexualities and places.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1521-1529
Number of pages9
JournalGender, Place and Culture
Volume24
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Sydney (N.S.W.)
  • Toronto (Ont.)
  • public spaces
  • sexual minority community
  • social mobility

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