SOAN 349: Frontiers & Borders
MW 2:45-4:00, Alumni 108
Colgate University
 Spring 2005 Professor Thomas Hall
 NEW Office:  B3 Alumni, x7042, email:  tdhall@mail.colgate.edu
 OFFICE HOURS:  M 4-5, TU 2-3, W 11-12, & by appointment
 Last Updated 4-20-05
Factors and Functions of Borders & Frontiers

These are the factors and functions people have listed so far. I have NOT tried to groups them, but obviously they can and should be. Think about how these might be organized. You might consult past lists:
Factors Shaping Borders/Frontiers [Spring 01]
Factors Shaping Borders/Frontiers [Spring 02]

revisions based on class discussion on Monday 4-18-05, Erika Everett reporting:
The factors that are in bold on this list are categorized twice.
Military

  1. fear
  2. political
  3. power
  4. role of war
  5. role of military tactics
  6. manpower or army size
  7. treaties

 Economic

  1. benefits and harms of a border
  2. class conflict
  3. land loss
  4. migrations
  5. networking to transcend borders
  6. resources
  7. trade centers
  8. waterways as borders
  9. ecological

Identity

  1. Ethnicity
  2. geographical or regional differences
  3. historical legacies
  4. how groups use borders
  5. nomads vs sedentary peoples with respect to borders
  6. migrations
  7. roles of religion
  8. rights to choose

Politics

  1. laws specifically about borders
  2. barriers keep in & keep out
  3. walls as substitutes for ‘natural’ barriers
  4. how well respected by various states and groups
  5. internal & external pressures
  6. land loss
  7. purpose of border [intention]
  8. power
  9. resources as tool (tool for control)
  10. treaties
  11. networking to transcend borders
  12. why state or empire is expanding

The factors in bold on the total list are listed once.  The factors in bold and underlined are listed twice.  Those that are neither bold nor underlined were not categorized at all.
barriers keep in & keep out
benefits and harms of a border
class conflict
does wall or barrier shape frontier?
ecological
economic
ethnicity & identity
fear
geographical or regional differences
historical legacies
how groups use borders
how well respected by various states and groups
indigenous vs. invader or contactor
internal & external pressures
land loss
laws specifically about borders
manpower or army size
migrations
military
networking to transcend borders
nomads vs sedentary peoples with respect to borders
political
power
purpose of border [intention]
regulate flows
resources
rights to choose
role of internet in/on modern frontiers
role of military tactics
roles of religion
role of war
tool for control
trade centers
treaties
walls as substitutes for ‘natural’ barriers
waterways as borders
why state or empire is expanding

Things not placed in categories
role of internet in/on modern frontiers
regulate flows
indigenous vs. invader or contactor
does wall or barrier shape frontier?

ORIGINAL LIST:
barriers keep in & keep out
benefits and harms of a border
class conflict
does wall or barrier shape frontier?
ecological
economic
ethnicity & identity
fear
geographical or regional differences
historical legacies
how groups use borders
how well respected by various states and groups
indigenous vs. invader or contactor
internal & external pressures
land loss
laws specifically about borders
manpower or army size
migrations
military
networking to transcend borders
nomads vs sedentary peoples with respect to borders
political
power
purpose of border [intention]
regulate flows
resources
rights to choose
role of internet in/on modern frontiers
role of military tactics
roles of religion
role of war
tool for control
trade centers
treaties
walls as substitutes for ‘natural’ barriers
waterways as borders
why state or empire is expanding

Send comments or questions to tdhall@mail.colgate.edu
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