In person icon Land as Territory: Sovereignty, Identity and Empire

Abstract

Contemporary territorial politics remain profoundly shaped by historical legacies of empire, colonialism, and state transformation. This panel examines how historical legacies of empire, socialism, communism, and colonial rule influence modern approaches to land governance, territorial sovereignty, and resource management across diverse geographical contexts. The papers in this panel examine how colonial and imperial legacies continue to shape territorial politics and land governance. From the Gulf region to North America, historical patterns of dispossession and resource extraction persist in new forms, challenging indigenous sovereignty and traditional land-use practices. These dynamics reveal ongoing tensions between state-centric notions of territory and alternative conceptualisations of land power. The panel also investigates how the collapse of socialist and communist systems has reshaped land relations and territorial governance. Through cases from Estonia's post-Soviet energy transition to Albania's post-communist land reforms, the papers illuminate how the shift to market-oriented systems has created new patterns of land ownership and control, while generating distinctive social and political tensions around territory and resources. Finally, the panel considers how contemporary challenges - from climate change to housing crises - intersect with historical legacies to create new territorial politics. These intersections reveal how past patterns of dispossession and control continue to influence modern land governance, while also highlighting emergent forms of resistance and alternative territorial imaginaries. Together, these contributions reveal the persistent influence of these varied historical legacies while highlighting how new challenges are reshaping relationships between land, sovereignty, and social justice. The panel contributes to broader debates about decolonisation, territorial sovereignty, and environmental governance by examining how distinct historical experiences inform contemporary approaches to land politics and territorial control.

Title	Details
Escalating Backlashes in Europe's Green Transition: Lessons from Estonia	View Paper Details
What Constitutes Sovereignty in Albania: the History of Land Reform	View Paper Details
Decolonizing Land Imaginaries: Colonial Legacies, Oil Extraction, and Authority in the Gulf	View Paper Details
Farming the North: Cycles of Extraction & Dispossession	View Paper Details
Lessons from the Long View of Housing and Land Crises in Coast Salish Territories	View Paper Details