New Books Network Kerry Gottlich, "From Frontiers to Borders: How Colonial Technicians Created Modern Territoriality" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Jan 14, 2026
Kerry Goettlich, an associate professor in international politics and author of From Frontiers to Borders, dives into the fascinating origins of modern territoriality. He critiques dominant narratives about borders and reveals how linear boundaries emerged through colonial surveying. Goettlich distinguishes technical practices from sovereignty, emphasizing how boundary experts influenced significant moments like the Paris Peace Conference. His insights uncover the colonial roots of boundary practices and question their durability in today's world.
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Territoriality As Technical Practice
- Modern territoriality is driven by technical practices of delimitation and demarcation rather than solely by sovereignty.
- Kerry Goettlich argues expertise and the relationship between technicians and political authority produced linear boundaries globally.
Multiple Colonial Paths To Lines
- Linear boundary practices emerged independently in different colonial contexts rather than being simply exported from Europe.
- Goettlich studies settler colonies (13 colonies) and British India to show distinct local drivers of linear boundaries.
Three Technical Stages Of Boundaries
- Boundary work involves allocation, delimitation, and demarcation as technical stages handled by experts.
- Modern boundaries function like engineering projects that require ongoing technical maintenance.
