Value form and valorization of space

notes for a debate in critical geography

Abstract

We understand that the consideration of the social form of value can contribute to add new determinations to the notion of valorization od space, aiming at the expansion of its explanatory capacity. Therefore, this article establishes a dialogue between the Marxist approach to the value form and the part of the critical tradition of Brazilian geography that proposes, as an object of geography, the analysis of the valorization of space. There are some points of incompatibility between them, which we believe to be derived from a too broad consideration, on the part of the geographic approach, of the concept of valorization. In this framework, we suggest a distinction between production of space and valorization of space: while the first term could have a broad meaning, corresponding to the set of practices of a given society regarding its geographic objects, we understand that the second term should correspond to a specific type production of space, which occurs when the geographic objects themselves are the objects of valorization. Following this indication, we discuss some of the ways in which we understand these processes of valuing space to occur, in accordance with the historical circumscription of value as an expression of specific social relations.