Space is a Stage

 Rylee Johnson 

GEOG 101

2/9/21

Response Paper 4

Space is a Stage 

In the article “Spatial History” by Paul Carter the author talks about place naming, space, place, and history. Carter gives us his insight into how a place can not be defined without history. Carter offers us a similar viewpoint to the concept of place. Carter shows us through key points, history, and keywords how space can not be defined without history. 

Carter makes key points to back up his similar theory of the concept of place. Caters strongest argument is that a place can not be named without some sort of history taking place in it. “...the cultural place where spatial history begins: not in a particular year, nor in a particular place, but in the act of naming. For by the act of place-naming, space is transformed symbolically into a place, that is, a space with a history.” (Carter,3) Carter is backing up his theory here where he talks about how a place can not be named without a history. History or cultural place is what makes up spatial history, it is what makes up space. The significance behind this claim is that history is the playwright for every space, and every space is a stage for history to unfold on and in geography, we study the significance and effects of human activity on the earth and this affects the earth and humans. 

The author uses history to back up his key points in the article on spatial history. The author talks of the history of Australia and Clarke's account of the landing of the First Fleet. How in this concept historians are only mere playwrights or spectators for history to unfold. Carter talks about how space is just a stage for history to unfold on and how this space has meaning because history has happened there. Just like how the land that the First Fleet has meaning because of the history that unfolded on the land. 

The author uses keywords to further back up his arguments of spatial history. The keywords found in the article were spatial history and the definition is the movement of humans and things over time and space. Another keyword that I found was spatial forms and this is part of two categories founded by Michel de Certeau. Place was also another keyword meaning a particular position or position in space. Another keyword space can be defined as geographers as empty and only when that emptiness is filled by history then it can have meaning. Another way the author connected the keywords and things we are discussing in class is by talking about place naming or toponyms. The key term generic toponym in chapter 4 is defined as the naming of a place because of a significant building or event in history. This is connected to the article because the author mentions place naming and the process of toponym.