The Social Construction of the Ocean [Hardcover]

This 2001 book discusses the changing uses, regulations and representation of the sea from 1450 to now.The worlds oceans have been enormously important in the development and interaction of societies throughout history. This unique book uses the tools of political geography and international relations to examine the ways in which nations and peoples have viewed and used the oceans. Most social scientists have looked on the seas as a resource, but Steinberg sees them as a space defined by society, arguing that political and economic forces have shaped the governance and representation of the sea as much as they have the land.The worlds oceans have been enormously important in the development and interaction of societies throughout history. This unique book uses the tools of political geography and international relations to examine the ways in which nations and peoples have viewed and used the oceans. Most social scientists have looked on the seas as a resource, but Steinberg sees them as a space defined by society, arguing that political and economic forces have shaped the governance and representation of the sea as much as they have the land.The worlds' oceans have been extremely important in the development and interaction of societies throughout history. This unique book uses the tools of political geography and international relations to examine the ways in which nations and peoples have viewed and used the oceans. Most social scientists have looked on the seas as a resource, but Steinberg sees them as a space defined by society, arguing that political and economic forces have shaped the governance and representation of the sea as much as they have the land.Introduction: from Davy Jones' locker to the Foot Locker: the case of the floating Nikes; 1. The social construction of ocean-space; 2. Ocean-space in non-modern societies; 3. Ocean-space and merchant capitalism; 4. Ocean-space and industrial capitalism; 5. Ocean-space and postmodern capitalism; 6. Beyond polc™