Heterotopia

     In Michael Foucault’s writing titled, Of Other Spaces, he explains the notion of Heterotopias in regards to space and time.  By examining the various ways in which heterotopias are described by Foucault, we can observe its relation of space and time in order to determine whether, what we call the internet, is a heterotopia.

     Foucault begins by showing the shift of how the idea of space has change through time.  In medieval time, space was consider to be hierarchic or as Foucault had stated, “it was this complete hierarchy, this opposition, this intersection of place this constituted what could very roughly be called medieval space: the space of emplacement.” (Foucault)  With the work of Galileo, the space of emplacement was opened up and considered as an extension of places not considered to be localized.  In contemporary capitalism, the relations of proximity between points or elements were used to describe this idea of which space takes “the form of relations among sites”. (Foucault) In order to map and understand space, it is important to look at oppositions in regards to space, and not so much the aspect of time.  He also examines how places have certain characteristics that cannot be exchanged between other sites shows that we live in spaces that are so called heterogeneous and are delineated through relations that are irreducible and not are superimposed. (Foucault)

     After examining the shift in how society has viewed space and time, Foucault goes on to describe Heterotopias by looking at six principles. The first principle he describes is basically that all societies constitute heterotopias and specifically he breaks this down into two categories. (Foucault)  The first is primitive societies which are considered heterotopias of crisis which are described as privileged or sacred or forbidden.  These heterotopias are disappearing in contemporary society, with only remnants of these we can be seen in places, like boarding schools, military and particularly do not have any geographical markers.  The second category is called a heterotopia of deviation, which entails the deviant behavior of individuals in relation to the norm. (Foucault)  The second principle described is a heterotopia that can change its function based on the changes that occur in society over time. (Asdam)  Heterotopias have specific functions which are related to the societies in which they encompass and a prime example of this would be a place such as a cemetery.  With time, the meaning and location of cemeteries has seen changes in its function within society.  Early on, cemetery where locations within the city near the church and there was a hierarchy of tombs within the cemetery.  Later on in time the cemeteries were moved out of cities or villages and this is due to shift in its meaning to one of illness. The third principle described is a heterotopia, that can be, at one and the same place, layers of multi-places that are incompatible. (Foucault) A few examples of this type of heterotopia are cinemas or gardens.  When you look at cinemas, individuals are in a room viewing projections on a two dimension screen which provides a view of a three dimensional spaces.  Gardens on the other hand are a kind of universal happy heterotopia.

     The fourth principle describe by Foucault, are places that can be linked to slices of time and open onto heterochronies.  Places such as museums and libraries provide a view of time that continues to grow and build upon itself which is representative of this heterotopia.  The knowledge provided in places like museums and libraries provide a history of humanity that goes back to the origin of specific time periods based on what is displayed or available within the site.  The fifth principle based its understanding on that “heterotopias always presuppose a system of opening and closing that both isolates them and makes them penetrable” (Foucault)  These types of heterotopias  are not open to everyone but there are certain criteria some must meet in order to have access.  This can be either compulsory actions in places like barracks or prisons, or in contrast someone would have to gain permission or make certain gestures. In the final principle described by Foucault, heterotopias have a function in relation to all space and places that remain.  If you think of a heterotopia of illusion, a space must be created based on all the ‘real’ spaces which are based on illusions. (Asdam)  There is also the heterotopia of compensation, in which the creation of a space that are perfect while there are other certain places that are messy or disjointed.  This relates to history of colonization of the Americas as this new found place seems perfect in relation to the society in which the travellers came.  Brothels and colonies represent these two extremes of heterotopias describe by Foucault in this last principle.  And if one were to think of a boat which is a space that floats but does not have a specific place, you can see how civilization without boats, there world we live in would be not what it is at this present time. (Foucault)

     I found this particular article interesting and intriguing.  The idea of heterotopias, as describe by Foucault are “places and spaces that function in non-hegemonic conditions” (Wikipedia) help to understand various aspects of the world in which we live and interact.  By using the characteristics of heterotopias you can analyze to understand the advances that are occurring within our society.  With the advancement of the internet a new form of spaces has been created that exists within our contemporary society. We can use Foucault’s notion of heterotopia to understand these new spaces that exist with the realm of the internet.  The internet is a virtual space that exists in an illusionary world created and the places that exist within this world are heterotopic in various ways.  The internet consists of a vast array of information that is accessible to those who have access to information technology that is capable of entering these new spaces.  The internet as a whole can be considered a heterotopia as it “cyberspace handily embraces notions of the other, limits access and presents contradictions of purpose, illusion, and the imagination and deviancy“(M/C Journal).  This view has been generated by publications and articles which have created the internet to be an ideal other world.  Not only as a whole, is the internet or cyberspace considered a heterotopia, but the spaces that exist within the internet can also be considered heterotopias.  Based on Foucault’s ideas of heterotopias, he is conceiving that  these places are “socially defined spaces that embrace material and immaterial, and yet are located outside of all other places -- even though it may be possible to indicate their position 'in reality'.(M/C Journal). If you take Foucault’s last principle, the idea of the boat or ship, it provides insight to how the internet and new information and communication technologies allow access to these spaces and places that exist in this new world when considering it a heterotopia.  The internet will always consisted of a vast array of subspaces and the changes it has undergone since its development have been intense. (Asdam)  The power struggle that it has endured through the development of the internet also shows how you can consider it a heterotrophic space.  The internet itself is not just one place or space but a montage of heterotrophic spaces, points of deviation and assault groups that are created within the structure of what we call the internet (Asdam). 

After looking at the principles and characteristics of heterotopias, I think you can consider the internet or cyberspace to be form of heterotopia but this is also dependent of what the internet consists and this is a vast array of heterotrophic spaces within.  It is an interest view and others may argue that the internet as a whole is not a heterotopia, but after reviewing Foucault’s view and other sources, I have to say this notion of heterotopia implies to what we now call the internet and all that reside within.

Based on Foucault’s notion of heterotopia and the principles in which it entails do you consider the internet as a whole to be heterotrophic?  Why?

CITATIONS

Asham, Knut. "Heterotopia: Art, Pornography, and Cemetaries." The Work of Knut Asham. Dec. 1995. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.knutasdam.net/index.php>.

Foucault, Michel. "Michel Foucault, Of Other Spaces (1967), Heterotopias." Michel Foucault, Info. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://foucault.info/documents/heteroTopia/foucault.heteroTopia.en.html>..'

Sherman, Young. "Of Cyber Spaces: The Internet & Heterotopias." M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 1.4 (1998). [your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9811/hetero.php>.

Wikipedia. "Heterotopia (space)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 9 Mar. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterotopia_(space)>.