Territorial identity and ideological discourses

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to instigate the reflection on the concept of territorial identity relating it to other concepts common to Geography and Sociology, such as territory, territoriality, ideology, State. For this, it was carried theoretical research throughout a bibliographical collection, notably using the approach of cultural geography, starting from the theoretical discussion of territory and getting in to the use of such concepts in the legitimation of discourses. The concept of territory embraces a multiplicity of ideas that we cannot consider homogeneous, explaining the shocks and tensions that permeate social relations as a whole. If territory is the space of mediation of power relations, territorial identity is the discursive practice of these social agents and the way in which this practice legitimizes historically, symbolically, discursively towards the territory members and the external agents. We conclude that territorial identity is built along the relations of domains and appropriation of space, in the spatial mediations of power, and can be produced ideologically, with internal and external influences, through the discourse of social agents with greater power of influence. Thus, it is possible for territorial identity to be more related to the conceived space than the one effectively lived, not being forged equitably by the various social groups. However, the identity is based on an asymmetric multi-scale power structure used as an instrument of territorial control by governments of many regions of the world.