A Spatial Theory of the Camp

This is an open access work distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Users can redistribute the work for non-commercial purposes, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, as detailed in the License. The copyright holders must be clearly credited as the owner of the original work. Any translation or adaptation of the original content requires the written authorization of the copyright holders.

From concentration camps to refugee settlements, there is little consensus about what exactly defines ‘the camp’. This timely and comprehensive book adopts a geographical perspective to develop a spatial theory of the camp, advancing the interdisciplinary field of camp studies. Richard Carter-White and Claudio Minca explore the spatial logics and practices that unite different camps, demonstrating why the camp has become such an integral tool of contemporary governance and what this reveals about the geopolitics and biopolitics of the modern nation-state.

Through a thorough parallel analysis of historical concentration camps and contemporary refugee camps, this book conceptualizes ‘the camp’ as an institution through which selected groups and individuals are included in society through a set of exclusionary practices. Providing an innovative and multifaceted geographical analysis of camp contexts, chapters focus on the examples of Auschwitz concentration camp and refugee camps along the Balkan Route. Throughout the analysis, the book draws upon Roberto Esposito’s political philosophy to theorize that camps are an attempt at ‘immunizing’ the nation-state from its inherent state of crisis.

A Spatial Theory of the Camp will be an indispensable reference for those interested in camp studies. It will also be beneficial to students and academics of human geography, political philosophy, Holocaust studies, and refugee and migration studies.