We have never been so bounded: Pandemic, territoriality, and mobility

Area of Science:

• Socio-legal studies
• Geopolitics
• Human geography

Background:

• The global COVID-19 pandemic has reconfigured societal norms and international relations.
• Bordering dynamics have become increasingly prominent in shaping everyday experiences and academic practices.
• Geopolitical tensions and contested national identities influence cross-border interactions and research access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the evolving dynamics of bordering in the nomosphere during the global pandemic.
• To analyze the territorial consequences of these bordering dynamics.
• To understand the impact of pandemic-related bordering on everyday life and academic fieldwork.

Main Methods:

• Autoethnography detailing personal experiences with border control as a British National (Overseas) passport holder seeking fieldwork access in Taiwan.
• Observational analysis of bordering experiences in Switzerland and Europe at various scales.
• Legal geography framework to analyze territoriality and border fluidity.

Main Results:

• Pandemic-induced bordering is fluid and constantly evolving, yet more discursively present and materially visible.
• Border control presented significant challenges for international fieldwork, influenced by geopolitics and identity politics.
• The experience of bordering during the pandemic highlighted uneven geographical impacts.

Conclusions:

• Bordering practices during the pandemic have created complex and uneven geographies.
• The heightened visibility and fluidity of borders during crises necessitate further attention.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for navigating future geopolitical and health challenges.