Placing and Scaling the Nation

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the geographical contexts within which nations are reproduced. Although geographers have carried out much interesting and insightful work in their studies of nationalism, we contend that the majority of authors have tended to focus on the way in which particular sites and landscapes come to represent nations. Less attention has been directed towards the geographical concepts and processes that inform the ongoing reproduction of nations. We elaborate on the potential for geographers to explore more systematically the way in which key geographical concepts such as place and scale are imbricated in the reproduction of nations. We do so, first, at a conceptual level before, second, discussing empirical evidence that is drawn from an oral history research project based in Wales. We conclude by arguing that geographers should be at the forefront of attempts to comprehend better the multiple places and scales of the reproduction of the nation.