Border Studies: Development of the Theory and Major Trends in a Changing Geopolitical Environment

The author aims to briefly analyze the objective reasons for the growing interest in studying political, administrative, and cultural borders (border studies), which has over the past 30 years turned into an important interdisciplinary field, and the progress of their theory. Diverse approaches to study of borders can be divided into two large types: pragmatic and critical. The traditional pragmatic approach, based on analysis of border functions and mainly using historical cartographic, comparative typological, and statistical methods, has been significantly developed due to attention towards actors, in addition to the state: local authorities, business, NGOs, etc. The information base has been significantly enriched, and understanding of the importance of cross-border cooperation and border-related social practices has increased. The critical approach is aimed at studying the cognitive–symbolic functions of borders associated with their perception, representation as sign systems, the politics of memory, and discourse and narratives. Today, pragmatic and critical approaches are integrated, including in the practice–policy–perception model. To a large extent, influenced by geopolitical shifts in recent years, seven key topics have emerged in the growing flow of border studies, including analysis of the role of borders as a tool for controlling international migration and regulating other social processes, the widespread activation of the barrier function of borders at different levels, redistribution of functions between them, etc. One direction for further development of border research is noted: study of the relationship and isomorphism of borders at different levels. According to the author, isomorphism means the similarity of the functions of formal (state, administrative) borders at all levels, although in different ways and in different proportions. The reason for this similarity is that borders act as a means of adapting space to the redistribution of political influence between different actors and centers, changes in the geopolitical position, and territorial distribution of the population and the economy.