ABSTRACT
Tothoseconcernedwitheffectingsocialandpoliticalchange,thecentral failingofthehumanistcritiqueofpreviousgeographicalpracticewasits inabilitysatisfactorilytoproduceknowledgewiththecapacitytoenable peopletotransformthesocialconditionsoftheirexistence.Withits focusonunderstandingandreflection,thehermeneutictradition,while providingacogenttheoreticalcritiqueoflogicalpositivism,failedto createasoundbasisforgeographicalpracticeconcernedwithemancipation(Habermas,1974).Itwasthereforetoradicaltraditionsofsocial andpoliticaltheorythatgeographersseekingtochallengethevery foundationsofcapitalistsocietyturnedintheirquestforacritical examinationofthepowerrelationsthatupheldit.Thechanging fortunesofthiscriticaltraditioningeographicalenquirycloselyreflect thesocialandpoliticalcontextinwhichithasemerged,anditis
thereforewithabriefoverviewofthiscontextthatthepresentchapter begins.
