Worldmaking Projects and the Infrastructural Nexus

How do idealistic projects for shaping the world relate to the actual political organization of world politics? The contributors to this volume provide a fresh perspective on the formation of order in world politics. They develop and utilize the concept of -Worldmaking Projects- (WMPs). These are projects that throughout history have sought to advance specific visions of order, such as national, imperial, or international. A particular emphasis is put on the central, yet often overlooked role that infrastructures play in this regard. The nexus between infrastructures and worldmaking is explored in relation to different Worldmaking Projects, including those in the air and in space, as well as in the polar regions.

Mathias Albert is a professor of political science at the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, and one of the directors of the Institute for World Society Studies. His research is on the history and sociology of world politics, on youth, as well as on the politics and science of the polar regions.

Heidi Tworek is Canada Research Chair and professor in history and public policy at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, where she directs the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. She is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the College of New Scholars, Scientists, and Artists at the Royal Society of Canada. Her research examines the history and policy of new communications technologies.

Tobias Werron is a professor of sociological theory and general sociology at the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University. His historical-sociological research focuses on topics such as globalization and world society, competition, nationalism, and theorizing in the social sciences.