The social construction of scale

TLDR

Human geography scholars have increasingly examined how scale is produced, yet most work focuses on capitalist production while neglecting the roles of social reproduction and consumption. This article reviews the literature on scale construction and argues for expanding the concept to include social reproduction and consumption. The authors critique existing theories through a short case study that highlights the importance of processes beyond production and domination. The case study demonstrates that incorporating these additional processes can improve theorizing and enhance efforts to achieve real social change.

Abstract

Over the last ten years, scholars in human geography have been paying increasing theoretical and empirical attention to understanding the ways in which the production of scale is implicated in the production of space. Overwhelmingly, this work reflects a social constructionist approach, which situates capitalist production (and the role of the state, capital, labor and nonstate political actors) as of central concern. What is missing from this discussion about the social construction of scale is serious attention to the relevance of social reproduction and consumption. In this article I review the important literature on scale construction and argue for enlarging our scope for understanding scale to include the complex processes of social reproduction and consumption. I base my critique on a short case study which illustrates that attention to other processes besides production and other systems of domination besides capitalism can enhance our theorizing and improve our attempts to effect real social change.