The American geographer Edward W. Soja has become known internationally in critical urban theory for his work on spatial analysis and the spatiality of social life. In his writings, he takes a spatial, regional, and political perspective, viewing space as an explanatory principle for social theory in which uneven spatial practices and the struggle over space are implicated in contemporary capitalism. As one of the key proponents of the spatial turn in social science, as well as an advocate for a critical postmodern approach, Soja developed a number of conceptual terms such as exopolis, thirdspace, and synekism. Moreover, he was one of the first, and most persistent, North American scholars to introduce Henri Lefebvre's work on space to an English-speaking audience.

Born in New York City ...