Can assemblage think difference? A feminist critique of assemblage geographies

Abstract

Assemblage thinking has been increasingly engaged by geographers to theoretically and empirically challenge philosophical categories and spatial imaginaries that have long been dominant in the field. Assemblage thinking presents exciting theoretical and methodological opportunities for geographers, yet its shortcomings are becoming increasingly clear. This article examines one such shortcoming: assemblage geographies’ lack of engagement with feminist thought. I approach assemblage’s uses in geography – assemblage as descriptor, concept, and ethos – as an entry point for a feminist critique, examining the potential of assemblage thinking to critically address issues of social difference, power, and the maintenance of inequality.