Lury, Celia, Parisi, Luciana and Terranova, Tiziana. (2012) Introduction : the becoming topological of culture. Theory, Culture & Society, Vol.29 (No.4-5). pp. 3-35. ISSN 0263-2764

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Abstract

In social and cultural theory, topology has been used to articulate changes in structures and spaces of power. In this introduction, we argue that culture itself is becoming topological. In particular, this ‘becoming topological’ can be identified in the significance of a new order of spatio-temporal continuity for forms of economic, political and cultural life today. This ordering emerges, sometimes without explicit coordination, in practices of sorting, naming, numbering, comparing, listing, and calculating. We show that the effect of these practices is both to introduce new continuities into a discontinuous world by establishing equivalences or similitudes, and to make and mark discontinuities through repeated contrasts. In this multiplication of relations, topological change is established as being constant, normal and immanent, rather than being an exceptional form, which is externally produced; that is, forms of economic, political and cultural life are identified and made legible in terms of their capacities for continuous change. Outlining the contributions to this Special Issue, the introduction discusses the meaning of topological culture and provides an analytic framework through which to understand its implications.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies
Journal or Publication Title:	Theory, Culture & Society
Publisher:	Sage Publications Ltd.
ISSN:	0263-2764
Date:	July 2012
Volume:	Vol.29
Number:	No.4-5
Page Range:	pp. 3-35
Identification Number:	10.1177/0263276412454552
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/51320

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