Rethinking Geographical Explorations in Extreme Environments: From the Arctic to the Mountaintops

This book explores how global environmental margins are conceived and how perceptions have changed, focusing on extreme environments such as mountain tops and Arctic regions. It examines how environmental marginalization has been discursively implemented and materially generated by foreign and local actors and how the status and identity of extreme environments have changed during modern times.

Format: Hardback
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 14 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume delves into the intricate dynamics of global environmental margins, exploring their historical conception, evolution, and shifting perceptions. From the pioneering expeditions of Umberto Nobili to the Arctic to the commercialization of Mount Everest, it examines the diverse settings where social encounters, political strategies, individual endeavors, geopolitical tensions, decolonial practices, and scientific experiments take place. Mountaintops and Arctic environments serve as the backdrop for these multifaceted interactions, showcasing the complex interplay between human societies and the extreme environments they inhabit.

Contributors to this volume shed light on how environmental marginalization has been discursively constructed and materialized by both foreign and local actors. They examine the extent to which the status and identity of extreme environments have transformed over modern times, moving them from the periphery to the center and discarding their marginalization. The first section delves into the ways societies have framed remoteness, exploring themes such as commercialization, colonialism, knowledge production, and sport. It explores how these frameworks have shaped perceptions and representations of these environments, as well as the ways in which they have influenced the practices and experiences of those who engage with them.

The second section takes a reverse approach, focusing on how extreme nature has influenced societies. It examines how international networks have been formed, political consensus has been reached, and identities have been constructed through the interaction with these environments. The book offers multidimensional and multi-gaze reconstructions, providing a rich and nuanced understanding of exploration history.

This book is a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in environmental history, geography, colonial studies, and the environmental humanities. It offers a critical perspective on the dynamics of global environmental margins, challenging traditional narratives and providing new insights into the complex relationships between human societies and the natural world. By exploring the historical, social, and cultural dimensions of these environments, the book contributes to our understanding of the past, present, and future of our planet.

Weight: 571g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367559830