Space, Place, and Social Justice

This article develops a methodological approach based on the spatial theory of Henri Lefebvre to address relationships between space, place, and social justice in education. In understanding the contradictory effects of globalization on local education policies and the continuing effects of historical geographies in education, Lefebvre’s theory foregrounds the multiple scales and rhythms of practice that produce social space. The article illustrates this by sketching the broad patterns of South African education and their spatial production. It suggests that the notion of affordances may be used in analyzing and interrupting the production of inequalities in schooling. In conclusion, the article considers methodological directions that a Lefebvrean rhythmanalysis might entail.